Valiant Men "Dat Fite Mit Siegel" (from Confederate War Etchings)
1861–63
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Image: 4 11/16 x 6 7/16 in. (11.9 x 16.4 cm) Sheet: 7 15/16 x 10 3/8 in. (20.1 x 26.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1938
Accession Number
38.13.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
Adalbert John Volck a Bavarian-born dentist Baltimore, created *Valiant Men "Datite Mit Siegel"* as part of his clandestine series *Confederate Etchings* during American Civil War (186–63). Living in Union-controlled territory, Volck produced these works in secret to rally support for the Confederacy, pseudonyms and hidden studios. This etching captures a moment of Southern valor, with the playful German dialect title mocking Union General Franz Sigel—likely depicting Confederate soldiers clashing with his forces amid firearms and figures of men and women. Etched on a modest scale (image 4 11...
About the Artist
Adalbert John Volck · 1828–1912
Adalbert John Volck (1828–1912) led one of the more remarkable double lives in American art history. Born in Augsburg, Bavaria, he emigrated to the United States as a young man, eventually settling in Baltimore, where he built a distinguished career as a dentist. Yet beneath his professional respectability lay a fierce artistic talent and a passionate political identity that would find explosive e...