James Walker(1819-1889)Sheridan's Ride 25 x 30 in. framed 33 x 38 in.
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Find your local specialistJames Walker (1819-1889)
signed and dated 'Jas. Walker. / 1868.' (lower left) and titled on a gallery label (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
25 x 30 in.
framed 33 x 38 in.
Footnotes
Provenance
Robert Tunstall, New Jersey.
Gerald P. Peters Fine American Paintings, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Property From The Collection of The Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Exhibited
The Los Angeles Athletic Club, Los Angeles, Mercury, July 1987, illustrated on the cover.
The October 19, 1864 Shenandoah Valley Battle of Cedar Creek occurred when Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early's troops launched a surprise overnight attack against the encamped Union army under Union Major General Philip Sheridan, while Sheridan was away in Winchester, Virginia. Initially it appeared that the Confederate side were the victors, taking over 1,000 prisoners and dozens of artillery pieces. However, after General Sheridan's furious ride back to Cedar Creek depicted in the present work, he rallied his retreating army, counterattacked, and routed Early's army. This was a significant turning point in the Civil War, as it secured the Shenandoah Valley for the Union side and prevented further advance by the Confederate army toward Washington D.C. and the Northern States.
Painted in 1868, the present work presents General Sheridan galloping on a black horse past remnants of battlefield fences. He holds the reins in both hands, his right hand raised ready to whip the horse forward. The horse is airborne with all four hooves off the ground and legs outstretched in the way 19th Century painters imagined horse legs were positioned in a full gallop prior to Eadweard Muybridge's revolutionary freeze-frame photographic studies. Painted in James Walker's exacting attention to detail, Sheridan's distinctive mustache easily identifies the subject, and he is presented in full formal dress uniform.
The English-born Walker maintained studios in New York and Washington D.C. before moving to San Francisco in the 1880s. He is best known for painting pivotal battle scenes in American history, particularly Civil War paintings such as the present work. His later California works focus on Western subjects including cowboys and cattle drives. The painting is accompanied by a letter from General Sherman to James Walker, dated August 10, 1866.
