Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-05-27
Walker Getty ,burgh.

About a year ago, we stepped, by invita-
ton. into the studio of Mr.. James Walker,
in New y ork. to look at his painting OF the
Battle Of Gettysburgh, then approaching
completion. after two years Of steady work
upan it. We found before us canvas as
large a, the side of a good sized room,-
twenty feet long by eight feet high-whieh
bears on it's surface, perhaps the most elab-
crate. and we little doubt, on the whole the
list battle painting. ever painted. The point
Of view is from the low crest on the left oi
Cemetery IInl, in the rear of the point
which received the hardest shock Of Long
streets famous assault on the left centre of
the Union army, and where portion of
Piekett's Division actually broke through
our Hnes The natural features were
skstchei from nature by the artist, and it is
faithful representation of landscape not
likely to be forgotten by any one who saw
it on those hot July days in l~53. But the
interest Of the scene lies not in It's fair per-
.rectiye and truthful color;ng bat, as on
the DAYS which made it memorable, in the
-urgins uias~cs which cover it and the living
tides which sweep across it, meeting. recoil-
ins. melting away, in the shock and crisis of
the creates. battle Of modern history. These
must of course have been to some extent,
reproduced from Imagination, for the artist
was not in the battle and could not have paint
ed 50 extended field from actual recollection,
irhe had been but he had by his side as be
painted, one who has studied the field till be
knows the whole Of it AZ well as If be had
been there. This man. Col. Jno. B. Bachel-
der. ordered she Taintins-itwas a 100000
orier-anI has seen the whole oft grow I'M
der his eve. Having an artists eye and an
artists ready pencil himself, he was able to
communicate to the painter his own mar
7eIlous knowledge of the battle. and to
ensure its fidelity to the reality.
Iii, thus no fancy sketch, ike most other
battle pieces. in which the D." sweet madness
of battle. as Rufus Choate termed it, is ez-
hibited in hishly-wr1ught ableaux of |
pluneing steeds. waving swords, and hand |
to-hand encounters but the one who sees it |
sees how the battle really looked The fore
ground is filed with the customary scenes |
and movements behind the lines batteries |
sweeping into action OF retiring disabled
wounded men ami prisoners passing to the |
rear. Beyond stretch the Union lines, upon |
which are pouring the seventeen thousand |
rebels sent by Longstreet into the great
charge. On the left may he seen the lines
Of STANDARDS brigade thrown cut upon
Picketts flank. The figures of Gen.
Hancock and Of Gen. Sannari and his
aids are plainly distinguishable near the lit
tie knoll and clump Of bushes where Han
cock fell. Bat we cannot describe the paint
ing in detail. Some idea of the amount Of
detail in it may be obtained from the fact
that the positions Of one hundred and sixty |
regiments can be pointed out upon it.
This great painting has been on exhibition |
in Boston for several weeks, and has created |
very marked sensation there. Some twenty |
thousand people have already visited it and
the interest in it does not seem to abate. We
copy in another column. from the Boston
Journal a sketch of the painting from the pen
of 50 Carleton, who was an eye witness Of
the battle, which will be found worth read
ing; and we hope no yermonter who visits
Boston Will fail to see the painting.