The Making of a Masterpiece: Last Tribute of Respect - 8

The center of interest in the painting is the casket. To achieve the pageantry of the scene, I felt it necessary to pull back my viewpoint, thus making the coffin smaller. By using age old artistic devices, (darkest dark against lightest light), I made the eye go where I wanted it to go. – Mort Künstler

Col. Keith Gibson of the VMI provided the description of the cadet’s accouterment and attire.