In this large painting by Constant Mayer, an artist best known for this particular work, a Confederate soldier discovers his dying brother in a Union uniform. It was painted in 1865, the year the Civil War ended, and the memory of that horror show in American history was painfully fresh. There were soldiers who discovered their dead brothers, fathers, and sons on the battlefield, wearing the color from the other side. Sentimental and a bit maudlin it may be, but it is beautifully painted. Makes me wish the country could sit down and watch Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary together.

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