The Soldier's Return
The Soldier's Return
- Description
- Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
- These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
- This colored print is a full length portrait of a man and woman standing, outdoors, with arms about each other. A riderless horse is tied to the wrought iron fence in background. The man is dressed in a blue military uniform with gold trim and epaulets and a belt buckle marked "US." The woman is in a simple dress, wearing a portrait miniature that hangs from a chain around her neck. A portion of the house is in the background. This is a companion print to "Soldier's Adieu."
- This print was produced by James S Baillie, was active in New York from 1838 to 1855. James Baillie started as a framer in 1838, and then became an artist and lithographer in 1843 or 1844. He discovered how to color lithographs while working as an independent contractor for Currier & Ives in the mid 1840’s. A prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives; his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. J. Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1847
- maker
- Baillie, James S.
- place made
- United States: New York, New York
- Physical Description
- hand-colored (image production method/technique)
- ink (overall material)
- paper (overall material)
- Measurements
- image: 11 3/4 in x 8 1/2 in; 29.845 cm x 21.59 cm
- overall: 14 in x 10 in; 35.56 cm x 25.4 cm
- ID Number
- DL.60.2254
- catalog number
- 60.2254
- accession number
- 228146
- Credit Line
- Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
- subject
- Chronology: 1840-1849
- Adornment
- Uniforms, Military
- Marriage
- Mexican War
- Architecture, Domestic Buildings
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
- Clothing & Accessories
- Domestic Furnishings
- Art
- Peters Prints
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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