Lecture: “A Great National Painting”: James Walker’s The Battle of Gettysburg

Six years in the making, James Walker’s twenty-foot-long the Battle of Gettysburg debuted in Boston on March 14, 1870. No fewer than five major Boston newspapers lauded the work’s sweep and substance, praising its detail and precision. Indeed, several of the generals depicted in the work vouched for its accuracy—and its pathos. After its first appearance, The Battle of Gettysburg embarked on a cross-country tour with its owner, the historian John Badger Bachelder, who had conducted the initial research and created the sketch upon which Walker based the painting. The popularity of the picture enabled Bachelder to shape popular perceptions of how Americans interpreted the Battle of Gettysburg, perceptions that continue to define it to the present day. A smaller version of the painting, also created by Walker and part of the Society’s collection, is currently on display in the Discovering New Hampshire exhibition. Join art historian Erin Corrales-Diaz, assistant curator of American art at the Worcester Art Museum, as she presents the remarkable story behind these iconic objects and then view the painting itself.