My husband is a big Civil War buff. Me, not so much. Where he sees strategy, I see senseless slaughter. But I also like to see him happy, so I found a way to get him to the battlefield. Typical of most Civil War battlefields, there's a self-guided driving tour that is punctuated by monuments. Most of them date to the Victorian era, which was rich in symbolism. This one represents "defeated Victory," (which I said was a contradictory concept, earning me a growl.) It represents how one side almost won the first day, only to be routed on the second. Victory is handing off the wreath to Death and Night...a pretty powerful representation of the feelings of the people who commissioned the statue.
365/2011
I forgot if you have ever been to Green-Wood Cemetery? So much Civil War history there - your husband would love it. I hope you come back this way again soon
ReplyDeleteYes . . . this statue is a oxymoron, but a lovely image.
ReplyDeleteI love all the Victorian symbolism...it really has a look of sadness/despair to it.
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