On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
[Union Soldier in Dress Coat, Seated, before Painted Backdrop (left); Union Soldier in Winter Overcoat, Standing, in Full Marching Order (right)]
Not on view
In this double-portrait case, the tinted, "sunburned" cheeks and vacant look of the soldier at right suggest he has already witnessed firsthand the killing fields. He appears to have been to the abyss and back. In period jargon, he has "seen the elephant."
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.