Page 15 - Glenfiddich Booklet

Gods & Generals
Mort Künstler, born in Brooklyn, New York on August 28, 1927 is an American artist known for his expressive paintings of historical events, particularly of the American Civil War. Künstler is so renowned for his art that in 1999 Virginia, Governor James Gilmore officially declared a “Mort Künstler Day”.
In the early 2000’s, Künstler set out to create the second painting of his Official Gods and Generals Collection. He states, “On a research trip to Virginia, I discovered Harrison Hall in Leesburg - the perfect setting for the second print of the series. Harrison Hall was General Robert E. Lee’s headquarters September 4-5, 1862, during the Antietam Campaign, and was the scene of a council of war with Lee and his generals. I was searching for just the right scene to show Lee and his lieutenants. When I saw the historical structure where the council occurred still standing in Leesburg, I knew that I had found my painting... Such a war council - a who’s who of Lee’s command structure - was rarely assembled, and I hope this painting faithfully commemorates the gathering of “gods” and generals that occurred over the course of those two days in 1862.”
In 2002 the 24”x34” oil painting was completed and a signed, numbered series print of this brilliant artwork is on display in the same dining room where the generals met so many years ago. In 2003, Ron Maxwell’s major motion picture Gods and Generals debuted in theaters which Künstler served as the official artist.