Art of the American Soldier Exhibition

Paddington Station
Aaron Bohrod
Gouche on Paper
1944

What can art tell us about the experience of being a soldier? Since World War I, both soldier and civilian artists have been commissioned by the U.S. Army to create a visual and historical record of military conflicts around the world. Wielding paintbrushes as powerful as their weapons, these soldier-artists have captured the human dimension of war in a way no newsreel or photograph ever could.

Today, the U.S. Army has collected more than 15,000 paintings and sketches created by over 1,300 American soldiers in the line of duty. With no national museum to display this impressive collection, these works have remained in curatorial storage in Washington, D.C. for decades, seldom made available for public viewing.

Art of the American Soldier at the National Constitution Center brings this previously unseen collection into the spotlight for the first time. The exhibition explores how soldier-artists have portrayed moments of soldier life, duty, and sacrifice in military conflicts spanning the past 100 years. Through these unforgettable images, visitors to the exhibition will connect with the soldier experience and discover insights into the men and women who have answered the Constitution’s call to “provide for the common defense.”

Exhibition runs from September 24, 2010 – January 10, 2011

Learn more at The National Constitution Center

h/t: illustr8r