Merry Confederate Christmas 2015

This Mort Kunstler print is titled, “How Real Soldiers Live,” but it is begging for a caption. Have at it.

Kunstler ChristmasWishing all of you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year.

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32 comments… add one
  • J.A.Morrow Dec 30, 2015 @ 10:05

    Kunstler depends on art sales to support himself.
    He’s also “Civil War apolitical”…
    Your anti-Southern rant website is an inappropriate venue to portray Kuenstler’s work-and he’s been advised of his art being misused to ridicule…….
    The Provost-Customs House,in Charleston, has much of Kunstlers art displayed on its walls-gratis-and that will NOW be addressed as to further continuing having his paintings displayed.
    I think Kuenstler is unaware that you are misusing his work-and I hope he brings legal suit against yourself and this (hate) website.

  • London John Dec 30, 2015 @ 4:50

    SFAIK Kunstler (is that his real name? German for artist) is unknown in the UK except to followers of CWM. Is his confederate kitsch big in the US? The Thomas Kincaid of the Civil War? I looked at several of his pictures online, and a minor but inescapable point is the inaccurate dresses of the many southern ladies. Not only are these dresses never patched or faded (which would have made his sentimental point better) but often have the vivid, unnatural colours only possible with chemical dyes. The only chemical dye available at the time of the ACW was Mauve, the first anilene dye.

    • Kevin Levin Dec 30, 2015 @ 4:55

      The Thomas Kincaid of the Civil War?

      That’s about right. The trick is not to think about it too much. 🙂

    • Julian Jan 4, 2016 @ 12:56

      Mort’s sense of fashion is always highly inaccurate in its style – he does better with the scantily clad babes of the far east but as for colours perhaps less inaccurate as there were several artificial pigments available by the time of the US Civil War as well as Perkins mauve – Solferino is a pale reddish pink fond in 1859 but the name is also associated with Azo Yellow available since about 1862, Bismarck Brown around 1864 and Bleu de Lyon 1860 (Aniline Blue) Fuchsine 1858 – I have a doll of US origins (German head and limbs, assembled and dressed in US) dressed in a fashion that would be from the early 1960s and she has a Bleu de Lyon toned silk dress – Civil War fashion was transformed by the expanding colour palette of artificial dyes

      • Julian Jan 4, 2016 @ 12:58

        oops I mean fashion from the early 1860s

      • London John Jan 5, 2016 @ 2:41

        I stand corrected, then, Thanks. Surprising what one can learn from this site.

  • Bryan Cheeseboro Dec 28, 2015 @ 5:13

    This is the Christmas 1862 party that’s depicted in the movie “Gods & Generals.” That depiction is funny because it completely airbrushes out slavery, i.e., who cooked and served the food. I did some research and learned that may of the slaves from this plantation (Moss Neck Manor) had run off and the food for this feast was prepared by Jim Lewis and another Black man.

    • Ken Noe Dec 28, 2015 @ 7:46

      It’s nice that Lewis could find a modern Butterball instead of a scrawny nineteenth century bird. Kroger must have been open.

      • Bryan Cheeseboro Dec 28, 2015 @ 9:09

        Hah, good one.

        Just a side note but I’ve never cared for Mort Kunstler’s artwork. It feels like his stuff goes hand-in-hand with Ron Maxwell’s interpretation of the war.

  • mischling2nd Dec 26, 2015 @ 15:06

    “Rich Man’s War, Poor Man’s Fight.”

  • Scott A. MacKenzie Dec 25, 2015 @ 20:42

    There’s enough food there to feed my entire company for a week. But, hey, we just whipped them at Fredericksburg. I’m sure that we’ll win next year.

  • Andy Hall Dec 25, 2015 @ 18:29

    I wonder what the supposed market for this print is. It sure doesn’t reflect well on Lee or Jackson, which seems to be a requirement for the genre.

    Then again, I don’t know how he could ever top his cover for “Saigon Sally’s Sin Barracks.” Now that’s a classic.

  • TFSmith Dec 25, 2015 @ 10:16

    Typical – put the Jewish guy on duty on Christmas…

  • London John Dec 25, 2015 @ 3:46

    Sod this for a game of soldiers.

  • London John Dec 25, 2015 @ 2:11

    Ken Noe and Pat Young have nailed it IMO.

  • Pat Young Dec 24, 2015 @ 18:53

    “He’s a dead man for leaving me out in the snow. Revenge is a dish best served cold…as cold as I am tonight.

    • bob carey Dec 25, 2015 @ 2:32

      I’ll get that SOB Jackson at Chancellorsville.

  • Ken Noe h Dec 24, 2015 @ 18:07

    “The Deserter,” part 1.

  • neukomment Dec 24, 2015 @ 17:46

    “Gentlemen! A toast toast to our breaking solemnly sworn oaths to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States of America!”

  • Kevin Youngberg Dec 24, 2015 @ 16:47

    The caption for that picture should read “General Jackson..did u remember to brine the turkey”…

  • London John Dec 24, 2015 @ 16:07

    Where the bars cross second from bottom first from left appears to be tactfully cxoncealing t5he face of a woman in an apron, presumably a slave.

  • H. S. Anderson Dec 24, 2015 @ 15:35

    “Rank has it’s privileges. Darn it.”

  • Annette Jackson Dec 24, 2015 @ 15:34

    Happy Holidays!

  • Barbara Gannon Dec 24, 2015 @ 14:54

    1) This is like Hogwarts, the food appeared by Magic, I wonder who made it and served it?
    2) My dearest Mary, last night I was on guard duty, with no shoes or even a decent meal; what gave me great comfort is knowing that one day my great great grandchildren will realize how much I suffered to preserve slavery and our way of life and not think we are fighting this calamitous war for something really trivial like tariffs or taxes.
    3) Guard: What a bunch of brass hat ASSWIPES I hope no one makes them the heroes of this war!

  • Bruce Miller Dec 24, 2015 @ 14:34

    “After the war when I get rich and can by my own slaves, I’ll live like that, too!”

  • Boyd Harris Dec 24, 2015 @ 14:32

    1863 strategy meeting, my ass!

  • Christian McWhirter Dec 24, 2015 @ 14:08

    Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?

    • Dudley Bokoski Dec 27, 2015 @ 10:42

      Well, alright. It’s about time someone quoted Johnny Rotten is a Civil War blog.

  • Bob Huddleston Dec 24, 2015 @ 14:03

    Typical — officers inside with the food and the girls while the sentry tries to stay warm in the snow! And an optimistic uniform: instead of an overcoat, I suspect he would have been wearing an old blanket over his shoulders!

    And may you have a Great New Year!

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