"The Conspirators", by General Lew Wallace

[DanielC]

(06-22-2014 03:49 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  Earlier this spring, I traveled with a small group to the Lew Wallace Study in Crawfordsville, IN to help with some clean up around the grounds. Following our day of work, we went on a tour of the study itself. Low and behold, displayed up high on one of the walls was a painting Wallace did of the conspirators. The painting is quite large (I don’t have the exact dimensions). Though I have some ideas of my own, I am interested to hear people’s thoughts as to the symbolism (if any) expressed here. Although it is a little difficult to figure out who is who, there is one person conspicuously missing and another person added.

Hello STS,
That must have been nice to see the original work. In Lincoln's Assassins Their Trial and Execution an Illustrated History by James Swanson and Daniel Weinberg it has this portrait on the very first page. First Row, Left to right: John Wilkes Booth, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, John H. Surratt. Second Row left to right: Samuel Arnold, George Atzerodt, David Herold, Michael O' Laughlin, Edman Spangler; Third row Lewis Powell.

It is an interesting portrait and you raise a very good question regarding its symbolism. Two things that stick out to me are Powell's "Giant like" quality. He was obviously a physically imposing young man for the times, and that is portrayed in the painting, but what fascinates me as well in the portrait is where each conspirator is placed. I wonder if there is any symbolism in that as well? You have Spangler on the very outside. Right beside Booth is Dr. Mudd. Interestingly enough not Herold who accompanied him on his escape. Herold is tucked behind Surratt and directly below Powell who dwarfs him (Is there a hidden message here ) was the front row reserved for the Brains of the operation in Wallace’s mind? Booth, Mudd, and Surratt? Interestingly Arnold and Atzerodt are paired together. Both men wanted out of the plot once it changed to murder. And finally O'Laughlin, again on the periphery almost looks like he is hiding from the group.