Priya Kapoor
John Brown was an abolitionist who believed in using violence to destroy the institution of slavery. He became a hero to Union soldiers and the subject of a popular marching song, John Brown's Body. Thomas Hovenden's painting, The Last Moments of John Brown, depicts Brown being led to his execution. Painted 25 years after Brown's death, Hovenden's work is sympathetic to Brown, depicting him as a martyr with religious references, including a long white beard like Moses and a subtle crucifix behind him. The soldiers' bayonets imply latent violence. John Steuart Curry's mural Tragic Prelude also features Brown, holding a Bible in one hand and a rifle in the other, with Union and Confederate soldiers, living and dead, behind him.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | John Steuart Curry |
| Title | Tragic Prelude |
| Year | 1937-1942 |
| Medium | Oil and egg tempera |
| Dimensions | 11' 6" x 31' (3.5m x 9.4m) |
| Location | Kansas State Capitol building, Topeka |
| Description | Depicts John Brown as a fanatic, Moses-like figure, with a Bible in one hand and a "Beecher's Bible" rifle in the other. Behind him are Union and Confederate soldiers, living and dead, with a tornado and a prairie fire in the background. |
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What You'll Learn
John Brown's role in the Bleeding Kansas period
John Brown was an American abolitionist in the decades preceding the Civil War. He was first thrust into the national spotlight in the 1850s for his radical abolitionism and participation in the Bleeding Kansas conflict.
The Bleeding Kansas period, lasting from 1854 to 1859, was a small civil war fought between pro-slavery and anti-slavery advocates for control of the new Kansas Territory under the doctrine of popular sovereignty. Brown, an evangelical Christian with strong religious convictions, believed himself to be "an instrument of God," destined to strike the "death blow" to slavery in the United States. He was a leading proponent of violence in the abolitionist movement, arguing that it was necessary after decades of peaceful efforts had failed.
In May 1856, Brown and his sons participated in the Pottawatomie Massacre, killing five supporters of slavery in retaliation for the sacking of Lawrence by pro-slavery forces. This action provoked fear and rage among slavery apologists in Kansas, and Brown became a symbol of the violence and polarization of the Bleeding Kansas conflict.
Brown went on to command anti-slavery forces at the Battle of Black Jack and the Battle of Osawatomie. In 1859, he invaded Virginia with plans to raid the Harpers Ferry arsenal and incite a slave rebellion. Although the raid failed, and Brown was captured and executed, his actions ignited national divisions and helped spark the American Civil War.
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Union and Confederate soldiers
John Brown was a radical abolitionist who believed in using violence to destroy the institution of slavery. He was a hero to Union soldiers, who marched to the song "John Brown's Body", which portrayed him as a heroic martyr. In 1859, Brown and a group of followers attempted to seize the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, to distribute weapons to enslaved people so they could rise up against slaveholders. The plan failed, and Brown was captured, tried, and executed.
The mural "Tragic Prelude" by Kansas painter John Steuart Curry depicts John Brown in front of Union and Confederate soldiers, living and dead, with a tornado and a prairie fire approaching. It is located in the Kansas State Capitol building in Topeka, Kansas, and was painted from 1937 to 1942 using egg tempera and oils. The mural is centred on the north wall and depicts Brown with a Bible in one hand and a "Beecher's Bible" rifle in the other.
The term tragic prelude refers to the Bleeding Kansas period of 1854-1860, which was seen as a prelude to the Civil War, a period in which John Brown played a central role, fighting to prevent Kansas from becoming a slave state. The mural includes references to this period, with soldiers on each side of the Civil War lying dead at Brown's feet.
Thomas Hovenden's painting "The Last Moments of John Brown" depicts Brown being led to his execution in 1859. The painting was created 25 years after Brown's death and is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is stylistically considered a work of academic art and was influenced by a fictionalised account of Brown's execution published in the New York Tribune in 1859.
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John Brown as a martyr
John Brown was a white man born into a deeply religious family of Connecticut abolitionists in 1800. He dedicated his life to a holy war against slavery, scorning the tactic of moral suasion that was popular among northern abolitionists. Instead, he believed that only an armed uprising could counter the evil of slavery. He was a hero and icon in the North, with Union soldiers marching to the song "John Brown's Body", which portrayed him as a heroic martyr.
Brown has been described as a martyr, a murderer, a prophet, and a madman. The Irish-American artist Thomas Hovenden's painting "The Last Moments of John Brown" depicts Brown being led to his execution. Hovenden used religious references to elevate Brown to the status of a martyr, portraying him with a long white beard like Moses and creating a subtle crucifix behind him. The bayonets of the soldiers in the painting imply latent violence, echoing representations of Christ presented to the people, surrounded by Roman soldiers.
The mural "Tragic Prelude" by John Steuart Curry, located in the Kansas State Capitol building, depicts Brown as a fanatic, Moses-like figure, striding forward as clouds part in the sky. In his left hand, he holds the word of God, and in his right, a "Beecher's Bible" rifle. Behind him are Union and Confederate soldiers, living and dead, with a tornado and a prairie fire approaching, symbolic of the coming destruction of the Civil War.
Brown's fight for civil freedom, culminating in his attack on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in 1859, and his execution by hanging later that year, were two of the inciting events for the Civil War. Jacob Lawrence's series of paintings, "The Legend of John Brown", illustrates Brown's quest, with the final print depicting Brown hanging from a noose, linking him to Christ as a martyr and saviour.
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Soldiers' bayonets and latent violence
The soldiers' bayonets and their latent violence are central to Thomas Hovenden's painting, 'The Last Moments of John Brown'. The painting depicts the American abolitionist John Brown being led to his execution in 1859. Brown was a white man who had taken enormous risks to free enslaved African Americans. He was captured during an attempted raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, with the aim of seizing weapons for a large-scale slave revolt.
Hovenden's painting is a sympathetic portrayal of Brown, showing him with his arms bound and a noose around his neck, yet pausing to kiss a young child. The soldiers' bayonets in the painting imply a latent violence and echo depictions of Christ presented to the people, surrounded by Roman soldiers. The viewer is placed in the position of witness and is forced to question their own role in the scene: are we jailers, sympathetic supporters, or part of the militia?
The soldiers' bayonets are a reminder of the violent context of Brown's execution and the broader social and political tensions of the time. The painting can be seen as a reflection of the complex attitudes towards Brown, who has been described as both a martyr and a terrorist. The soldiers' bayonets may also symbolise the impending American Civil War, which Brown's actions helped to incite.
The historical context of the painting is important to understanding the soldiers' bayonets and the theme of latent violence. Brown's execution took place during a period of escalating tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. Brown's raid and subsequent trial received extensive media coverage, further inflaming these tensions and ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War.
In conclusion, the soldiers' bayonets in Hovenden's painting serve as a powerful reminder of the latent violence that characterised the social and political climate of mid-19th-century America. The painting's sympathetic portrayal of Brown, the inclusion of religious symbolism, and the positioning of the viewer all contribute to a complex interpretation of a pivotal moment in American history.
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Soldiers and jailors at John Brown's execution
The painting "The Last Moments of John Brown" by Thomas Hovenden depicts the abolitionist John Brown on his way to his execution by hanging. Brown's arms are bound, and a noose is visible around his neck. He is heavily guarded by armed men, yet the painting depicts him pausing to kiss a young child.
The painting is based on a fictionalized account of Brown's execution. While aspects such as the clothing worn by the subjects are accurate, the episode of Brown kissing a slave child never occurred. In reality, Brown encountered only soldiers and jailors on his way to the gallows.
The soldiers in the crowd included future Confederate General Stonewall Jackson and John Wilkes Booth, who borrowed a militia uniform to gain admission to the execution. Brown rode on his coffin in a furniture wagon from the county jail through a crowd of 2,000 soldiers to the gallows. The military lined the square, prepared for an attack.
John Brown was a white man who took enormous risks to free enslaved African Americans. He was seen as a hero and icon in the North, and Union soldiers marched to the song "John Brown's Body," which portrayed him as a heroic martyr. However, others viewed him as a madman and a terrorist.
Hovenden's painting elevates Brown to the status of a martyr, depicting him with a long white beard like Moses and creating a subtle crucifix behind him. The bayonets of the soldiers imply latent violence and echo representations of Christ presented to the people, surrounded by Roman soldiers. The viewer is left to question their own role in the scene: are we jailers, sympathetic supporters, or part of the militia?
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the painting is ''Tragic Prelude''.
The mural was painted by John Steuart Curry.
The mural is located in the Kansas State Capitol building in Topeka, Kansas.
The soldiers in the painting represent the Union and Confederate troops, with dead soldiers at John Brown's feet, referencing the "Bleeding Kansas" period and the coming Civil War.
