hand
m the Becker Collection
“Siege of Petersburg: A Night Attack,” March 31, 1865, by Andrew McCallum, published April 22, 1865. This issue of Leslie’s was published 23 days after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox and one day after Lincoln’s assassination. McCallum’s drawing appears to be more a victory celebration than a representation of death and destruction. The curving lines of explosions and earthworks form a pinwheel of light and dark rotating in space. This dramatic and unusual composition expresses the triumph of the moment.
From the Becker Collection 35