The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

The courthouse became a beacon among the sea of gray uniformed masses. It was here where General Lee and his most trusted lieutenants would reunite to begin the process of resting and rebuilding their seasoned army. No one could foresee the ferocity of the fighting to come, and Orange County would witness some of the worst.

The painting is finished, now an image is sent to historians that are experts on the subject. Here are a couple of quotes from two who saw the image:

Upon opening the files, all I could do was exclaim, "FANTASTIC!" Mort has captured a moment, immortalized it, for all time. He is just absolutely SO good!

– Frank Walker, Orange County Historian

Yes, I second Frank’s vote of “FANTASTIC.”

My congratulations to Mort on his great way of dealing with the courthouse stair and fence questions, and my continued appreciation for his unfailingly accurate portrayals of the realities of travel and the road systems of the era.

- Ann L. Miller Senior Research Scientist

Historian, Virginia Transportation Research Council

The Making of a Masterpiece

The painting is almost finished. At this point Mort Künstler checks for details. Having more than fifty years of experience, Mort has learned different tricks that help him with the angles, perspectives, scale, and so on.

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

"The Army of Northern Virginia would have taken several days to pass by the Orange County Courthouse. Having marched up the hill behind the courthouse, it made a right turn onto present day Main Street." – Mort Künstler




"Robert E. Lee was always the center of interest, in real life as he is here in this painting. I have used the perspective lines of the courthouse to lead the eye, as well as silhouetting him and his hand gesture against the sky. His black hat against the white clouds also helps to draw the eye to him. A.P. Hill on his black horse Prince, had been given a few days’ leave to visit his family and home in nearby Culpeper. Lee’s ‘Old War Horse,’ James Longstreet with his ever-present cigar, is to the general’s immediate right.” – Mort Künstler

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

Among his strongest supporters and most loyal officers were General A.P. Hill and General James Longstreet. Both men had fought well under Lee’s tutelage and their unwavering allegiance to him was passed down through the ranks.


Who guessed right? Exactly! General A.P. Hill, and General James Longstreet are with the great Robert E. Lee.

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

“On the left of the picture, an artillery battery rides by with infantry troops behind them. They would eventually go into their winter camps strung out behind the Rapidan Line earthworks and prepare for what we know would be the upcoming, crucial spring campaign of 1864.” – Mort Künstler

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

En route to their destination near the Rapidan Line earthworks, the Confederate forces marched past the Orange County Courthouse over a period of several days. The surrounding streets were filled with the sights and sounds of thousands of men, horses, wagons and artillery pieces passing by.



Can you tell who the officers are next to Lee?

The Making of a Masterpiece

Every day after he finishes work, Mort cleans his brushes and props them up with the tips in a small cup of paint thinner. In order to achieve this, he uses masking tape to adhere the top of the brushes on top of the thinner can. Mort takes very good care of his art materials, and there are quite a lot of things in the studio that date back from his earliest days working as an illustrator.

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

After suffering a stunning defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg in early July 1863, a bruised and battered Army of Northern Virginia retreated south from Pennsylvania, back into the familiar fields of the Old Dominion.

On August 8th, General Robert E. Lee sent a letter of resignation to Confederate States President Jefferson Davis, who summarily rejected the offer. Davis, like Lee’s men, had retained belief in their supreme commander and his ability to lead.

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

If you guessed “The Courthouse” in Orange, Virginia you were correct!

"Built in 1859, it is one of the first courthouses in the South to be based on the Italianate style. In 1949, its splendid arcaded porch was changed by bricking up the arches to create more office space. Fortunately, it was restored in 2003 and I feel very fortunate to be able to paint it for the first time as it looked during the War Between the States." – Mort Künstler

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

After a couple of days of working on sketches and drawing up a final sketch, Mort draws directly onto a canvas that he has stretched. Below you can see he has already painted in the sky and some branches and has just started working on the building.

Can you tell which building will be featured in the painting?

The Making of a Masterpiece: Unconquered Spirit

"In 2002, while searching for a building in Orange County, Virginia that would be the setting for my annual snow scene, there were two buildings that jumped out at me. One was St. Thomas’s Church, where General Robert E. Lee prayed during the winter of 1863-64. The other was the courthouse." – Mort Künstler

Mort doesn’t draw the same amount of sketches for each of his paintings. For his newest painting he did about nine sketches, but they were whisked off to the Nassau County Museum of Art for his upcoming exhibit before we photographed all of them! Here is one that we managed to capture. You will be able to see the rest at the museum in just a matter of weeks!