John Adams Elder painted this oil portrait of Robert E. Lee about 1870. State Art Collection of the Commonwealth of Virginia, The Library of Virginia View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

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SEE ARTIST'S WORK: John Adams Elder's artwork is on display at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, 907 Princess Anne St., through Sept. 7, 2008. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Museum admission is $7 for adults; $5 for senior citizens and active military. For details, call 540/371-3037.

Fredericksburg Area Museum showcases work by John Adams Elder. By Michael Aubrecht

Date published: 11/17/2007

STANDING AMID the soldiers' and civilians' graves in the Confederate Cemetery on Washington Avenue is a simple, elegant marker with the name "Elder" etched across its face. To the casual observer, this tombstone would probably blend in with the rest of the surroundings, but the seasoned art enthusiast or historian would recognize it as the final resting place of one of the area's most famous artists, John Adams Elder.

Somehow it seems fitting to find such a grave here, because Fredericksburg has always been a town known for two things: history and art. In fact, there are probably just as many visitors who journey to the Historic District each year in search of fine antiques and paintings as there are touring its hallowed battlefields and museums. Both groups would most likely be impressed with the historical contributions of the man named Elder.

Born in Fredericksburg in 1833, this extremely gifted painter of landscapes, portraits and historical vignettes grew to become one of the country's most cherished artists.

For the first time since 1947, a retrospective of Elder's work is on exhibition in his hometown. The show at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center is titled "John Adams Elder: Fredericksburg's Artist of the Civil War" and features numerous landscapes, portraits and genre paintings of the War Between the States and life in the South.

However, painting represents only one side of this man, whose legacy is also that of a local citizen-soldier.

Defining his style

With dreams of specializing in the genre of realism, the artist journeyed north at the age of 17 to study the art of portrait rendering in New York City. Then he traveled overseas to study for five years in Dusseldorf, Germany, under the guiding hand of Emanuel Leutze, who was renowned for his brilliant depiction titled "Washington Crossing the Delaware."

It was during this time that Elder began to define the wonderful style that would make his work celebrated in the eyes of collectors for generations to come.

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Date published: 11/17/2007