Mort Künstler Talks About New Painting "Mr. Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg"

The Making of "Mr. Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg" Phases 5-6

"I do not think that I would have approached this scene if not for the fact that Lincoln stood six feet four inches tall. Crowd scenes always present a unique challenge as the main character can become lost in the masses. Lincoln naturally stands out as he wore a stovepipe hat that made him look more than seven feet tall at a time when the average height of a man was five feet six inches. I knew that I would have no trouble making the eye go to Lincoln and to heighten the effect, I painted the black of his hat against the lightest part of the sky to create the most contrast. I also used perspective to draw the lines of the train and building toward Lincoln in order to ensure that he remained the focus of attention." -Mort Künstler

The Making of "Mr. Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg" Phases 2-4

"The moment I saw the Gettysburg Railroad Station fully restored in 2006 I knew I wanted to paint a scene of Lincoln’s arrival there. I recognized that it could be a great subject with the president as the center of interest, the background of the station, a grand locomotive, and the excitement of the crowd. Although the inspiration for the piece came easily, the composition for it was challenging and the first thought of doing it was intimidating."
-Mort Künstler

The preliminary compositional sketch has now been transferred to canvas.

More details and figures are building in the foreground. Mort has also begun the underpainting which will set the overall tone.

Details of the train and the Gettysburg Railroad Station quickly start to emerge.

The Making of "Mr. Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg" Phase 1

This is the first phase in the creation of Mort's latest painting, "Mr. Lincoln Comes to Gettysburg". These preliminary sketches are quite rough, drawn with charcoal on trace paper. Stay tuned for the rest of the progression of what Mort considers “…perhaps the most difficult painting in a long career of difficult paintings.” The completed painting will be posted this Saturday. The official release and print signing is scheduled for Saturday, November 16, from 11am to 3pm at King James Galleries in Gettysburg.

Even the final compositional sketch, done on brown paper, is rough. Note the grid lines he drew to enable him to easily transfer the sketch to canvas.

Mort did this live sketch (from a model) to help with a small detail in the painting.

Wilbur Feltner's Collection of Mort Künstler Paintings

Considered one of the preeminent painters of the Civil War, Mort Kunstler is especially popular in the Winchester region. Wilbur Feltner has been an admirer of Kunstler's art for many years, and has what many deem as the most extensive collection of his art, located in the Feltner Museum in Winchester Virginia. In this interview Mr. Feltner discusses his first encounter with Künstler's art and how their relationship subsequently developed into commissions for two of Künstler's most popular paintings, Until We Meet Again and Wayside Farewell.