The Young Recruits
Christian Schuessele (Schussele), American (born France), 1824/26 - 1879
Geography:
Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1855Medium:
Oil on canvasDimensions:
39 1/4 x 52 1/2 inches (99.7 x 133.4 cm)Curatorial Department:
American Art
2009-6-1Credit Line:
Purchased with The McNeil Acquisition Fund for American Art and Material Culture, 2009
Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1855Medium:
Oil on canvasDimensions:
39 1/4 x 52 1/2 inches (99.7 x 133.4 cm)Curatorial Department:
American Art
* Gallery 116, American Art, first floor (McCausland Gallery)
Accession Number:2009-6-1Credit Line:
Purchased with The McNeil Acquisition Fund for American Art and Material Culture, 2009
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angry and happy [x] army [x] children [x] children's crusade [x] christian schuessele [x] dog [x] family [x] kids [x] knitting [x] landscape [x] militarism [x] mountains [x] nhd 1815 to 1860 [x] oath [x] play [x] revolution [x] revolutionary war [x] swords [x] toys [x]In this painting, a Revolutionary War officer cheerfully rallies a group of boys wearing comical hats and armed with toy weapons. But not every face in this painting is joyful. For Christian Schuessele, who left revolution-torn Europe in 1848, the lessons of the successful American War of Independence (1775-83) were hardly playful or childish matters. By 1855, when the artist painted this scene, the United States was again struggling, this time to remain a union. In an era when artists rarely addressed political tensions, The Young Recruits raised questions about patriotism and readiness for war, bringing national issues into the realm of the family and the neighborhood.
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