Manet and the American Civil War : the battle of the U.S.S. "Kearsarge" and the C.S.S. "Alabama"

A study of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's acquisition, "The "Kearsarge" at Boulogne", by Edouard Manet (1832-1883). During the American Civil War, when Union forces blocked Confederate ports, the Confederacy countered by waging guerrilla warfare on Union merchant shipping. One of the most skilled Confederate raiders was the sloop-of-war "Alabama". On the 19th June 1864, the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama fought off the coast of Cherbourg, France. The Alabama sank less than two hours after the first shot was fired. The battle captured the attention of the French people, and Manet, who as a teenager had served in the French navy, raced to Boulogne to see the victorious Kearsarge. He painted a depiction of the battle (which he did not witness), now in Philadelphia, as well as a portrait of the Kearsarge, now in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This volume contains essays about the Metropolitan's picture and five additional seascapes painted by Manet in Boulogne during the summer of 1864. Related works by other artists, photographs and newspaper articles are also included. On June 19, 1864, The United States Warship Kearsarge Sank The Confederate Raider Alabama Off The Coast Of Cherbourg, France, In One Of The Most Celebrated Naval Engagements Of The American Civil War. When Kearsarge Later Anchored Off The French Resort Town Of Boulogne-sur-mer It Was Thronged By Curious Visitors, One Of Whom Was The Artist Edouard Manet. Although He Did Not Witness The Historic Battle, Manet Made A Painting Of It Partly As An Attempt To Regain The Respect Of His Colleagues After Having Been Ridiculed For His Works In The 1864 Salon. Manet's Picture Of The Naval Engagement And His Portrait Of The Victorious Kearsarge Belong To A Group Of His Seascapes Of Boulogne Whose Unorthodox Perspective And Composition Would Profoundly Influence The Course Of French Painting. Manet's Paintings And Watercolors Related To The Battle Are Considered In Depth Alongside Numerous Prints, Photographs, Letters, And Archival Newspaper Illustrations That Illuminate The History Of The Episode And In Some Cases Dispel Lingering Misconceptions. Manet's Other Boulogne Seascapes Are Also Discussed In Terms Of Their Complex Chronology And Evolution. A Final Chapter Touches On Some Of The Sources For The Seascapes - From Old Master Paintings To Japanese Woodblock Prints - And Traces The Influence Of The Seascapes On Such Artists As Gustave Courbet, James Abbott Mcneill Whistler, And Claude Monet.--book Jacket. Introduction: Manet's Early Experience Of The Sea -- The Naval Engagement -- The Battle Of The Kearsarge And The Alabama -- The Kearsarge At Boulogne -- Manet's 1864 Boulogne Seascapes. Juliet Wilson-bareau With David C. Degener. Catalog Of An Exhibition Held At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, N.y., June 3 To August 17, 2003. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 85). This fascinating book focuses on The Metropolitan Museum of Art's recent acquisition, The "Kearsarge" at Boulogne, by Edouard Manet (1832-1883). During the American Civil War, when Union forces blocked Confederate ports, the Confederacy countered by waging guerrilla warfare on Union merchant shipping. One of the most skilled Confederate raiders was the sloop-of-war Alabama. On June 19, 1864, the U.S.S. Kearsarge and the C.S.S. Alabama fought off the coast of Cherbourg, France. The Alabama sank less than two hours after the first shot was fired. The battle captured the attention of the French people, and Manet, who as a teenager had served in the Frech navy, raced to Boulogne to see the victorious Kearsarge. He painted a depiction of the battle (which he did not witness), now in Philadelphia, as well as a portrait of the Kearsarge, now in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This volume contains essays about the Metropolitan's picture and five additional seascapes painted by Manet in Boulogne during the summer of 1864. Related works by other artists, photographs, and newspaper articles are also included. One of the most celebrated naval engagements of the American Civil War took place on June 19, 1864, when the United States warship Kearsarge sank the Confederate raider Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France. The Kearsarge later anchored off the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer where throngs of curious people flocked to see it, one of whom was the artist Édouard Manet (French, 1832-1883). Although he was not a witness to the battle, Manet painted the scene in an attempt to regain the respect of his colleagues after being ridiculed for his work in the 1864 Salon. Accompanying the Museum's exhibition, this publication takes a closer look at Manet's early experience of the sea, as well as provides a detailed narrative of the historic episode and the background of the two ships. In addition to Manet's paintings and watercolors, numerous prints, photographs, letters, and newspaper archives illuminate the stirring event. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website