Wittenberg Exhibits The First Minnesota: Portraits

June 21, 2012

The First Minnesota: Portraits, a special exhibit by alumnus Jay Wittenberg '88, will be on view in the North Corridor of the State Capitol building from June 23 - July 7, 2012. In 2007, Wittenberg began painting the portraits of the soldiers who served in the First Minnesota Regiment during the Civil War. Minnesota was the first state to volunteer men to fight for the Union Army.

Wittenberg started his research on the men of the Minnesota 1st, who also fought in the Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Antietam. For each portrait, the artist sketched eight to ten studies before painting in oil on wood panels. Each painting is framed in an oval that includes symbols about the soldier: A symbol of the "all-seeing eye" indicates a promotion; a heart with a tear indicates the soldier was wounded; a heart with a cross means that man was killed in battle.

The exhibition runs concurrently with Civil War Family Day and other events at the State Capitol.

On View

June 23 - July 7, 2012

Minnesota State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651.296.2881

Hours

Monday-Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sunday
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Image Credit

Jay Wittenberg