Michael Corcoran
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
S/NPG.79.34
Tags
Art Historical Context
This lithographic portrait of Michael Corcoran, around 1861-64 by the S. Wagner Lithography. of Philadelphia, captures the dashing Union Army general in full military regalia. Adorned with epaulets, a cap, mustache, and sword, the image exudes authority and heroism, typical of wartime prints designed to inspire patriotism. Wagner's firm, active from the 1840s to mid-1860s, in affordable reproductions that brought prominent figures into homes across America. Michael Corcoran, an Irish immigrant who rose to brigadier general, became a symbol of Union resilience during the Civil War. Captured at...