The Gun Boat Candidate, At the Battle of Malvern Hill
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
Image: 9 in. × 13 9/16 in. (22.8 × 34.5 cm) Sheet: 13 1/2 × 17 13/16 in. (34.3 × 45.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of A. S. Colgate, 1952
Accession Number
52.632.184
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1862 during the height of the American Civil War, *The Gun Boat Candidate, At the Battle of Malvern Hill* is a lithograph that blends political satire with battlefield imagery. Produced by the renowned firm Currier & Ives, with artwork likely contributed by Louis Maurer, the print captures the public’s complex view of Union General George B. McClellan. Known for his cautious approach during the Peninsula Campaign, McClellan is here depicted in a humorous, critical light that questions his leadership and emerging political ambitions. Lithographs like this one were an important medium of the era, allowing sharp political commentary to reach a broad audience through affordable, widely distributed prints. The work’s title and imagery reference McClellan’s preference for gunboat support and his performance at the Battle of Malvern Hill, using exaggeration to comment on the intersection of military strategy and presidential politics. Today, this piece in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection offers visitors a vivid glimpse into how visual satire shaped Civil War-era discourse and public opinion.
About the Artist
General George B. McClellan|Louis Maurer|Currier & Ives (American| ) · 1857 | –1907 |
American, active New York, 1857–1907|American, Phildadelphia, Pennsylvania 1826-1885 Orange, New Jersey