Existing comment:
Lee and His Generals (Summer) Mural
Hoffbauer's imaginary grouping of more than a dozen of the most famous southern commanders -- men never all together in the field -- was conceived as appropriate imagery to mark the middle years of the war, when the Confederacy was at its greatest strength. For the figure of Robert E. Lee, the most photographed and celebrated of the Confederate leaders, the public expected a depiction that would both resemble his best-known images and match his exalted reputation. Hoffbauer developed an impressive figure who dominates not only this mural but also the entire room. The artist included more officers in the final mural to satisfy the advisory committee of the Confederate Memorial Association. |