The Girl I Left Behind Me
OBJECT TYPE
MEDIUM
oil on canvas
DIMENSIONS
42 x 34 7/8 in. (106.7 x 88.7 cm.)
GALLERY LABEL
A young girl stands on a promontory, her hair streaming in the wind. The path before her ends, so she must either retrace her steps or try to find a different way forward. Johnson called this painting The Girl I Left Behind Me, invoking an Irish ballad that was popular with both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. In doing so, the artist opens the possibility that this young girl is doing more than waiting for the return of her husband. Her wedding ring, glinting in the light, speaks of commitment to her union, but is Johnson referring to her personal life or to the nation? The split-rail fence below her divides the landscape, and the fog surrounding her suggests a world fraught with ambivalence. She appears to wait for a sign of what will come next.
EXHIBITION LABEL
A girl stands on a promontory, her hair streaming in the wind. The path before her trails off, so she must either retrace her steps or try to find her way forward. Her wedding ring speaks to a commitment to her union and a husband who has gone to war. The split-rail fence below and the fog surrounding her speak to a world fraught with division and ambivalence. Johnson’s figure appears to be waiting for some sign of what will come next. The title comes from a Regimental song.
The Civil War and American Art, 2012
PUBLICATION LABEL
The Civil War defined America and forever changed American art. American artists of this era could not depict the conflict using the conventions of European history painting, which glamorized the hero on the battlefield. Instead, America's finest painters captured the transformative impact of the war. Through landscapes and genre paintings, these artists gave voice to the nation's highest ideals and deepest concerns — illustrating a time that has been described as the second American Revolution.
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.
Keywords
Figure female\full lengthHistory\United States\Civil WarLandscape\weather\windObject\written matter\book
PLACES
DATES
Date : ca. 1872
COPYRIGHT
Restrictions & Rights : CC0Additional Resource Information
Record Link :http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=11492 Credit Line : Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by Mrs. Alexander Hamilton Rice in memory of her husband and by Ralph Cross Johnson On Physical Exhibit : Yes
Department : Painting and Sculpture On View : Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2nd Floor, East Wing
Record Id : saam_1986.79 Object number : 1986.79
Record Information
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Admin info
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"metadata": "<div><h2>Source</h2><p><a href=\"/search/?f[_types][]=resource&providers[]=Smithsonian American Art Museum\">Smithsonian American Art Museum</a></p></div><div class=\"mb-3\"><h2> OBJECT TYPE</h2><div class=\"list-mdt-item clearfix\"><span class=\"mdt-item\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&object_type[]=paintings\">Paintings</a></span></div></div><div></div><div class=\"mb-3\"><h2>MEDIUM</h2><p class=\"mdt-item d-block mb-0\">oil on canvas</p></div><div class=\"mb-3\"><h2>DIMENSIONS</h2><p class=\"mdt-item d-block mb-0\">42 x 34 7/8 in. (106.7 x 88.7 cm.)</p></div><div></div><div><h2>GALLERY LABEL</h2><p class=\"mdt-desc\">A young girl stands on a promontory, her hair streaming in the wind. The path before her ends, so she must either retrace her steps or try to find a different way forward. Johnson called this painting The Girl I Left Behind Me, invoking an Irish ballad that was popular with both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. In doing so, the artist opens the possibility that this young girl is doing more than waiting for the return of her husband. Her wedding ring, glinting in the light, speaks of commitment to her union, but is Johnson referring to her personal life or to the nation? The split-rail fence below her divides the landscape, and the fog surrounding her suggests a world fraught with ambivalence. She appears to wait for a sign of what will come next.</p><h2>EXHIBITION LABEL</h2><p class=\"mdt-desc\">A girl stands on a promontory, her hair streaming in the wind. The path before her trails off, so she must either retrace her steps or try to find her way forward. Her wedding ring speaks to a commitment to her union and a husband who has gone to war. The split-rail fence below and the fog surrounding her speak to a world fraught with division and ambivalence. Johnson’s figure appears to be waiting for some sign of what will come next. The title comes from a Regimental song.</p><p class=\"mdt-desc\">The Civil War and American Art, 2012</p><h2>PUBLICATION LABEL</h2><p class=\"mdt-desc\">The Civil War defined America and forever changed American art. American artists of this era could not depict the conflict using the conventions of European history painting, which glamorized the hero on the battlefield. Instead, America's finest painters captured the transformative impact of the war. Through landscapes and genre paintings, these artists gave voice to the nation's highest ideals and deepest concerns — illustrating a time that has been described as the second American Revolution.</p><p class=\"mdt-desc\">Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.</p></div><div class=\"mb-3\"><h2> NAME</h2><div class=\"list-mdt-item clearfix\"><span class=\"mdt-item\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&names[]=johnson%2c+eastman\">Johnson, Eastman</a></span></div><div><span class=\"mdt-item mdt-subitem\"><span class=\"mb-0\"><strong>Artist : </strong>Eastman Johnson, born Lovell, ME 1824-died New York City 1906</span></span></div></div><div><h2>Keywords</h2><p class=\"list-mdt-item clearfix\"><span class=\"mdt-item comma-delimited\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&keywords[]=figure+female%5cfull+length\">Figure female\\full length</a></span><span class=\"mdt-item comma-delimited\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&keywords[]=history%5cunited+states%5ccivil+war\">History\\United States\\Civil War</a></span><span class=\"mdt-item comma-delimited\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&keywords[]=landscape%5cweather%5cwind\">Landscape\\weather\\wind</a></span><span class=\"mdt-item comma-delimited\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&keywords[]=object%5cwritten+matter%5cbook\">Object\\written matter\\book</a></span></p></div><p><h2>PLACES</h2><div class=\"list-mdt-item clearfix\"><span class=\"mdt-item\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&place[]=United+States\">United States</a></span></div></p><p><h2>DATES</h2><div class=\"list-mdt-item clearfix\"><span class=\"mdt-item\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&date[]=1880s\">1880s</a></span><span class=\"mdt-item\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&date[]=1860s\">1860s</a></span><span class=\"mdt-item\"><a href=\"/search/?f[][types]=resource&date[]=1870s\">1870s</a></span></div><div><span class=\"mdt-item mdt-subitem d-block\"><span class=\"mb-0\"><strong>Date : </strong>ca. 1872</span></span></div></p><p><h2>COPYRIGHT</h2><span class=\"mdt-item mdt-subitem\"><strong>Restrictions & Rights : </strong><span class=\"d-inline\">CC0 </span></span></p><hr><div class=\"add-info\"><div class=\"add-heading mb-2\"><strong>Additional Resource Information</strong></div><div><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">Record Link :</strong><span><a href=\"http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=11492\">http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=11492 </a></span></span><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">Credit Line : </strong><span>Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by Mrs. Alexander Hamilton Rice in memory of her husband and by Ralph Cross Johnson </span></span><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">On Physical Exhibit : </strong><span>Yes</span></span><div><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">Department : </strong><span> Painting and Sculpture </span></span><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">On View : </strong><span> Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2nd Floor, East Wing </span></span></div><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">Record Id :</strong><span> saam_1986.79 </span></span><div><span class=\"d-block\"><strong class=\"add-info-item\">Object number : </strong><span> 1986.79 </span></span></div></div></div>",
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