Artist: Mort Kunstler
Title A Fleeting Moment
Edition::Hand Signed and Numbered Limited Edition Canvas Giclee Artists Proof (Regular Paper Edition is Sold Out)
Image size: Image Size: 22" x 32"
About the Print: She was never far from his thoughts. General Thomas J. Jackson – mighty Stonewall – pondered most of his military strategy privately. Ardently concerned about security, he spoke little of his plans to anyone until he began to unleash them in hammer-like strikes against the enemy. To ensure success, he constantly oversaw preparations in person. He rode his lines on horseback, checked on his troops, and mentally rehearsed his plans and options to perfection.

Even so, his thoughts were often with his wife. Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, a minister’s daughter, shared an extraordinary love with her husband that was founded and flourished on a shared faith in God.

In the winter of 1861-62, Mary Anna left their Lexington, Virginia home and joined Jackson at his Winchester headquarters, from where he conducted his famed Valley Campaign. As he routinely moved through his army, leaving nothing unchecked, he had ample opportunity to spend time with his beloved Mary Anna. Without question, the interlude in Winchester brought Jackson some of his dearest moments of the war. In early 1862, more accomplishments, more fame, more glory awaited him.

Jackson savored the blessings of his relationship with his beloved wife. To the end, Stonewall and Mary Anna Jackson would be bound by a deep and abiding commitment — a commitment shaped by the Biblical love that “never fails.”

Mort Kunstler’s Comments

I can’t count how many times I have been asked to paint another version of my painting Until We Meet Again. It is my 1990 snow scene of Stonewall Jackson and his wife, Mary Anna, at his winter headquarters in Winchester, Virginia. I had felt that it would be very difficult to equal or top one of my most popular paintings and I approached it carefully and with great trepidation. Finally, time and opportunity allowed me to comply with all those requests.

But, what kind of painting should it be? I chose Winchester again as the setting – both for historical and artistic reasons. It was at Winchester in the winter of 1861-62 that Jackson had established headquarters and brought Mary Anna from Lexington. They had little time together during the war, and this was the single longest interlude that they enjoyed. She left Winchester bearing their daughter, Julia, so this was certainly a memorable time for the Jacksons.

Jackson was always active – always on the go, making sure that every order was executed and every detail was carried out. It was his personality and also a reflection of his professional motivation. He spent a lot of time that winter, even in the snow, moving around Winchester, and at various times was able to have a precious moment or two with his wife.

This painting takes place on Loudoun Street in Winchester, highlighted by the Loudoun Street Presbyterian Church. The church is still standing today, but its appearance has changed radically since the Civil War. Dedicated in 1841, the current facade and steeple were erected in 1883. The steeple replaced the cupola seen in the painting. I felt it was the perfect setting for Jackson and Mary Anna. The church and the street were familiar to both of them. They worshipped at the church that winter, and Jackson passed that way many times on his official duties. All the buildings in this latest painting are still standing except for a few in the background. This view of Loudoun Street can still be enjoyed on the walking mall in Old Historic Winchester.

I hope the painting reflects the special relationship that existed between the general and his wife, which, of course, did much to contribute to the remarkable man we all know today as Stonewall Jackson.


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