Vassals and Vessels

Walter Askin

Undated

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Landscape, Jane Freilicher, crayon and tusche lithograph on Arches paper
Composite image with vignettes depicting how news was conveyed during the Civil War. Clockwise, from top center: (1) In "Wounded," a woman buries her head in hand after receiving a letter from the front telling her a loved one has been wounded. (2) In "From Richmond," wounded soldiers who have returned home from battle speak to a woman in the street.; (3) "The Newspaper Train" depicts soldiers as they rush to greet a train from which newspapers are being thrown.; (4) Above the title "War News Illustrated," a soldier on horseback blows a bugle.; (5) In "Our Special Artist," Winslow Homer sits atop a barrel turned on its side, sketching Union soldiers in camp.; (6) "News for the Staff" depicts the arrival of a courier with a letter for a commanding officer.; (7) In "For the Fleet," two sailors wait at mail is distributed.
This image is created with black ink on cream paper. Train tracks stretch from the foreground to the background of the composition, with a few small buildings in the foreground at the left and right of the image. Only a few trains can be seen in front of the train station building, which is pictured at the center left of the image with two towers and a great dome. The sky is clear.
This image is created with black ink on white paper. In the foreground of the image a fenced pig sty contains four pigs. Within the pig sty is a wagon, which stands to the left of a board building with a shingle roof. Scattered trees stand behind the pig sty and building and birds fly above.