"You can look at a picture of an artifact for days and still not know it. But examining it in your own hands reveals its texture, its substance and how it works,. . . There has been too much distortion over the years. I believe the more accurate the presentation is, the clearer our image will be of our heritage. It is a far better way to honor our ancestors." Don Troiani -historical artist.
A former Federal officer sent me an e-mail with the controversial art of Jon McNaughton attached.
I immediately was reminded of the Revolutionary and Civil War presentations of Don Troiani. Several of his works appear on the walls of Fox's Pizza Resaturant at 100th & Western Ave, depicting the Irish Brigade at Antietam being blessed by Catholic Chaplain Father Corby of Notre Dame.
And Clear the Way - the Charge of The Irish Bridage at Fredicksburg*
The work above by Mr. McNaughton presents President Obama standing on the U.S. Constitution to the applause of a few former President, but a general attitude of shock and dismay from most. Most significantly is the center piece of the work - The Forgotten Man on the bench.
This is very good representational art. The painter identifies the theme, heroic or forelorn, and places the sweep of history's personailities and events into a framed context.
I expect, Mr. McNaughton to take more heat than any Guggenheim sponsored dabbler who toseed execrement at the Virgin Mary, or descrecrated the Torah.
Some folks demand to tell us what is correcrt; hence the gent on the bench.
*On a cold December day, 1862, the 28th Massachusetts, part of Brigadier General Meagher's Irish Brigade, fought a valiant but suicidal assault at Fredericksburg.
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