Curatorial Narrative In the midst of the American Civil War, Edwin Forbes produced “Infantryman on guardCulpeper Court House, Va.” in 1863, a work that exemplifies the nascent realist movement in American art. Characterized by its adherence to realism’s tenets, the painting presents an unflinching portrayal of war’s harsh realities. Forbes’ brushwork is notable for its hardness, imbuing the subject with an air of detachment and scientific observation.As a work conceived during a time of great turmoil, “Infantryman on guardCulpeper Court House, Va.” embodies a Modernist sensibility that would later come to define the era’s artistic landscape. Minimalist in composition and palette, Forbes’ use of neutral tones and aged paper creates an atmospheric weight that draws the viewer inexorably into the scene.When enlarged to 44×68, the painting’s chromatic structure is rendered with heightened intensity, its sepia-like hue taking on a life o