Center of the Confederate Line, View towards the Union line from the position of Maj. General John Bell Hood's division. Battle of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862. Fredericksburg, Virginia, June 2, 2011, 7:42–7:46 p.m.

Artist Matthew Baum American, born 1973

Date2011

MediumChromogenic print on panel

DimensionsFrame: 25 x 111 1/2 in. (63.5 x 283.2 cm)

ClassificationsPhotography

Credit LineGift of Allen G. Thomas Jr. in honor of Linda Johnson Dougherty

Object number2014.14.2

On View

Not on view

Label TextMatthew Baum brings an innovative perspective to landscape photography with a series that focuses on sites central to Civil War history. Baum’s background in architecture is apparent in the captivating intersection between horizontal and vertical lines and the sweeping horizons of his images. This intriguing structure of perspective conveys the site’s isolation from the progression of time. The image is divided into three separate pieces—the triptych form allows Baum to present the landscape with a panoramic view that plays with one’s perception of depth in the image.

On explaining why he was drawn to Civil War sites Matthew Baum stated, “In my opinion, what was essentially at stake in the Civil War was the soul of a country. Emancipation institutionally reset our moral compass. Unfortunately, in practice, this imperative is not always followed. The legacy of the Civil War, in both its success and its failures, defines the fundamental issues that resonate through our society today.”
[L. Dougherty, 2014]
ProvenanceCreated Fredericksburg, VA, 2011; collection of the artist; sold to Allen G. Thomas Jr., Wilson, NC, 2013; given to NCMA, 2014.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) Raleigh, “Currents: Photographs from the Collection of Allen Thomas, Jr.,” June 28–September 9, 2013.

Raleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "Private Eye: Allen G. Thomas Jr. Photography Collection," September 13, 2014–March 22, 2015.
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