- Artist Mort K^BENT^00FC^EENT^nstler's work is known for its authenticity and attention to detail.

Artist Mort K^BENT^00FC^EENT^nstler's painting 'The Mud March' depicts the Union army bogging down in Stafford County on Jan. 21, 1863, during a fierce winter storm. Artist Mort K^BENT^00FC^EENT^nstler's work is known for its authenticity and attention to detail.

- Artist Mort K^BENT^00FC^EENT^nstler's work is known for its authenticity and attention to detail.

'Until We Meet Again' depicts 'Stonewall' Jackson's wife, Mary Anna, joining him in Winchester in the winter of 1861-62. Artist Mort K^BENT^00FC^EENT^nstler's work is known for its authenticity and attention to detail.

Popular Civil War artist is no stranger to Fredericksburg. His latest work, "Tender is the Heart," is set in Orange County.

Date published: 6/2/2007

By MICHAEL AUBRECHT

"WHAT A REMARKABLE people they were--the generation of Americans that faced the Civil War."

This quote comes from "An American Palette--The Paintings of Mort Künstler" and was offered by the artist himself when asked to comment on one of his paintings that depicted Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson holding a sunrise service.

"Remarkable" is certainly a fitting adjective to describe the courage, strength and conviction of America during the Civil War. It is also a fitting term to describe the 75-year-old painter himself.

Noted Civil War scholar and Jackson biographer Dr. James I. Robertson once said of Künstler: "No one has better captured the sights, the feelings, the encompassing drama that formed the conflict of the 1860s. Many gifted wielders of the brush have given us scores of Civil War illustrations, but only Künstler has carried that skill to a level of perfection."

The artist, whose studio, Künstler Enterprises Ltd. is in Oyster Bay, N.Y., has painted numerous pieces over the years portraying key events in the history of Fredericksburg. These include "Lee at Fredericksburg"; "The Scouts of Fredericksburg"; "Angel of Marye's Heights"; and "Remember Me."

One of his latest releases is "Tender is the Heart," which depicts a particularly special event that was witnessed by a high-ranking group of Confederate officers gathering at Mayhurst in Orange County. Most prominent among the attendees was Gen. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, as well as one of his three corps commanders, A.P. Hill.

The purpose of this intimate meeting between's Lee's lieutenants was not to plan wartime strategy but to celebrate the baptism of an infant. The child's name was Lucy Lee Hill, whom A.P. and his wife, Kitty, had named in honor of her father's beloved commander, and who had graciously agreed to be the child's godfather.

According to Fredericksburg Historical Prints' Web site, Künstler's painting are among the most highly sought-after historical prints on the market.

For more information on Mort Künstler's latest paintings, appearances and upcoming events, visit the artist's official Web site at mortkünstler.com. To see some of his work exhibited, visit Fredericksburg Historical Prints downtown at 829 Caroline St.

Date published: 6/2/2007