01 Work, The Art of War, Dunn, Harvey Thomas' Street Fighting, with footnotes

Harvey Thomas Dunn (1884 - 1952)

Street Fighting, ca 1918

Charcoal,  pastel and watercolor

16 7/8 in x 23 1/8 in; 42.8625 cm x 58.7375 cm

National Museum of American History

Depicted is an American soldier in olive drab uniform firing his M1903 Springfield rifle with a trail of yellow fire coming out of the gun barrel. To the left of the soldier is the body of another American soldier lying face down on the street, presumably dead. Surrounding the soldiers are piles of debris from destroyed buildings. Part of a wall has collapsed behind the firing soldier, and a pile of red, white, and blue cloth can be seen among the rubble. More on this painting

Harvey Thomas Dunn (1884 - 1952) is best known as an illustrator, painter, and muralist. Though based in the East, particularly New Jersey and New York, his native state of South Dakota remained the inspiration for his finest works. Born in 1884 in Manchester, in the Red Stone Valley of South Dakota, he was raised in a sod house on the prairie, where he lived with his parents until he was 17 years old. 

During a year he spent at the South Dakota Agriculture College in 1901, his teacher Ada Caldwell, an influential South Dakota artist herself, recognized Dunn's abilities. She encouraged him to continue his studies at the Chicago Art Institute, which he did, and Dunn always acknowledged the opportunities she opened to him. 

Dunn was on his own by 1906, selling his art to the magazine markets of the day. One his best clients became The Saturday Evening Post. Along with artist Charles Chapman, Dunn opened the Leonia School of Illustration in 1915, at the inspiration of Howard Pyle.

World War I caused a brief intermission of Dunn's career. In 1917, at the age of 33, Dunn was one of eight artists chosen to serve as a graphic reporter on the front lines. This was despite his being past the age of military service. His efforts were fearless, and he filled his logs with profound mental and physical images of ruin. He returned to his private works after being discharged at wars end in 1919. 

Dunn accepted a commission by a New York department store 1925 to paint five mural-like panels for its 100th anniversary. In 1928, the American Legion Monthly magazine began featuring Dunns war canvases, completed from his image sketches, on its monthly covers. Recording for history his vision of the war was one of his goals. The prairies were included on Legion magazine covers, and Dunn was able to teach at the Grand Central School of Art, at the Art Students League in New York. 

He remains South Dakotas most honored painter, and the State Art Museum of Brookings, which contains many of his, as well as Ada Caldwell's, works faces Harvey Dunn Street. Dunn died in 1952. More on Harvey Thomas Dunn

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.