Vicksburg Canal

Art Historical Context

**Vicksburg Canal** is a compelling 1864 print byalbert John Volck a German-born artist and dentist who lived from 1828 to 1912. Created amid the American Civil War, this belongs to the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, in the National Portrait Gallery Volck was known for his pro-Confederate etchings often produced clandestinely in Baltimore under pseudonyms to evade Union censorship. As a print—a medium ideal for quick dissemination of political satire—this piece captures the tense atmosphere of the Siege of Vicksburg, a pivotal 1863 campaign where Union forces under General Ulyss...