Xanthus Russell Smith (February 26, 1839, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – December 2, 1929, Glenside, Pennsylvania) was an American marine painter best known for his illustrations of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Biography

Born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, the son of painters

William Thompson Russell Smith William Thompson Russell Smith (Glasgow, Scotland 1812 – Glenside, PA, 1896) was a Scottish-American painter who produced iconic images of Pennsylvania's landscape inspired by the aesthetic of the Hudson River School. Early life and education ...

and Mary Priscilla Wilson, he was educated at home by his mother, who also gave him drawing lessons. Between 1851 and 1852, he accompanied his parents and sister

Mary Russell Smith The Mary Smith Prize (defunct) was a prestigious art prize awarded to women artists by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. It recognized the best work by a Philadelphia woman artist at PAFA's annual exhibition — one that showed "the mo ...

on the family's tour of Europe. After returning home, he studied chemistry at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, before enrolling at the

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1805, it is the longest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States. The academy's museum ...

. He served in the Union Navy as a captain's clerk during the

, helping to maintain the blockade of

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. He saw little action, and sketched hundreds of ships in a variety of media, including

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of ...

and

oil paint Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. Oil paint also has practical advantages over other paints, mainly because it is waterproof. The earliest surviving ...

, both for official purposes and for his own pleasure. His father built a suburban villa, "Edgehill", in

Glenside, Pennsylvania Glenside is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Cheltenham Township and Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders Northwest Philadelphia. The population was 7,737 at the 2020 census on a land area ...

, a couple miles outside of

, that included a large artist's studio. In 1879, Smith married Mary Binder, the daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia lumber dealer. The Smiths settled at Edgehill, where they raised their three children, Mary Russell "Polly" (1880–1938), Xanthus Russell Jr. (1886–1961), and George Russell (1890–1943). Smith also maintained a studio at 1020 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia for over thirty years, and painted until his death at age 90.

Selected works

Smith did not actually participate in most of the battles he illustrated; instead, he generally consulted those who were present at the engagements. His first major work, ''The Monitor and the Merrimack'' — 1869, oil on canvas, 30 x 66 inches (76.2 x 167.6 cm.),

Union League of Philadelphia The Union League of Philadelphia is a private club founded in 1862 by the Old Philadelphians as a patriotic society to support the policies of Abraham Lincoln. As of 2022, the club has over 4,000 members. Its main building was built in 1865 a ...

— was critically acclaimed. His paintings were sometimes massive: ''Final Assault upon Fort Fisher, North Carolina'' — 1872–73, oil on canvas, 56 x 123-1/2 inches (142.2 x 313.7 cm.),

— is more than 10 feet wide. There are seven known versions of the famous June 19, 1864 naval battle between the USS ''Kearsarge'' and the Confederate ship ''Alabama'', each a unique composition: *''Sinking of the Rebel Cruiser Alabama by the U.S.S. Kearsage'', 1868, oil on canvas, 10 x 18 inches (25.4 x 45.7 cm.), Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the

Birmingham Museum of Art The Birmingham Museum of Art is a museum in Birmingham, Alabama. Its collection includes more than 24,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and decorative arts representing various cultures, including Asian, European, United States, Amer ...

; Gift of

Regions Bank Regions Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company headquartered in the Regions Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The company provides retail and commercial banking, trust, stock brokerage, and mortgage services. Its banking subsi ...

*''The Sinking of the Alabama'', c. 1865–70, oil on canvas, 8.2 x 14.7 inches (20.8 x 37.3 cm.), private collection. *''Battle between Kearsarge and Alabama'', c. 1870, oil on canvas, 9-5/8 x 14-7/8 inches (24.4 x 37.8 cm.),

Mariners' Museum The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library contai ...

, Newport News, Virginia. *''The Kearsarge and Alabama'', 1875, oil on canvas, 56-1/2 x 96 inches (143.5 x 243.8 cm.),

. A popular attraction at the

1876 Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...

. *''The Close of the Engagement'', 1886, oil on canvas, 21 x 36 inches (53.3 x 91.4 cm.), Debra Force Fine Art, Inc., New York City. *''Battle of the Kearsarge and Alabama'', 1892, watercolor on paper, 19-3/4 x 29-3/4 inches (50.2 x 75.6 cm.),

Morris Museum of Art The Morris Museum of Art is an art museum in Augusta, Georgia. It was established in 1985 as a non-profit foundation by William S. Morris III, publisher of The Augusta Chronicle, in memory of his parents, as the first museum dedicated to the coll ...

, Augusta, Georgia. *''The Sinking of the CSS Alabama'', 1922, oil on canvas, dimensions unknown, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, New York. Commissioned by former Assistant Secretary of the Navy

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

. Smith's paintings and sketches were used to illustrate a large number of Civil War histories, including the 1926 biography he wrote of his former commanding officer, Admiral

Samuel Francis du Pont Samuel Francis Du Pont (September 27, 1803 – June 23, 1865) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family. In the Mexican–American War, Du Pont captured San Diego, and was made commander of the Ca ...

. Examples of his work are at the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the sec ...

in Annapolis, Maryland, and the U.S. Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. Others are in the collections of the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

, the

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

, the

Columbus Museum of Art The Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts (its name until 1978), it was the first art museum to register its charter with the state of Ohio. The museum collec ...

, the

Delaware Art Museum The Delaware Art Museum is an art museum located on the Kentmere Parkway in Wilmington, Delaware, which holds a collection of more than 12,000 objects. The museum was founded in 1912 as the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts in honor of the arti ...

, the

Columbia Museum of Art The Columbia Museum of Art is an art museum in the American city of Columbia, South Carolina. History The Columbia Museum of Art was originally in the 1908 private residence of the city's Taylor family. Located on Senate Street in Columbia, ad ...

, and the

Addison Gallery of American Art Addison may refer to: Places Canada * Addison, Ontario, a community United States * Addison, Alabama, a town * Addison, Illinois, a village * Addison, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Addison, Maine, a town * Addison, Michigan, a vil ...

. His unpublished

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

, ''An Unvarnished Tale'', along with his family papers are preserved in the

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washing ...

at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

.Xanthus Smith Papers
at Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. File:Goslin Zouave, 95th Regiment, Private (1861), by Xanthus Smith.jpg, ''Goslin Zouava, 95th Regiment, Private'' (1861), watercolor on paper,

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

, Washington, D.C. File:Uss Norwich 1861.jpg, ''USS Norwich'' (1861), graphite on paper, U.S. Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C. File:USS Metacomet (1864) by Xanthus Russell Smith (cropped).jpg, ''USS Metacomet at Pensacola, Florida, 30 August 1864'' (1864), graphite on paper, U.S. Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C. File:Final Assault upon Fort Fisher, North Carolina (1872-3) by Xanthus Smith.jpg, ''Final Assault upon Fort Fisher'' (1872–73),

, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. File:Battle of Mobile Bay (1890) by Xanthus Smith (cropped).jpg, ''Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864'' (1890),

, Annapolis, Maryland. File:Battle of Kearsarge and Alabama (1892) by Xanthus Smith.jpg, ''Battle of the Kearsarge and Alabama'' (1892),

, Augusta, Georgia. File:US Navy 030204-N-0000X-001 This 1922 artwork depicts the sinking of the Confederate ship CSS Alabama.jpg, ''The Sinking of the CSS Alabama'' (1922), Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hyde Park, New York.

References

*James Louis Fisher, ''Xanthus Smith: Civil War Painter'', M.A. thesis, University of Delaware, 1982. *Barbara McNew, "The Fury and Terrible Beauty." ''

Naval History Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. The Military, armed forces branch designated for naval warfare is a navy. Naval operations can be ...

'' 14.3 (2001):26–33 *Robert Wilson Torchia, ''Xanthus Smith and the Civil War'', exhibition catalogue, Schwarz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, April 1999. *Robert Wilson Torchia, ''The Smiths'', Schwarz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, January 1999.

External links

''Cunard Steamer "Parthia" Leaving Boston Harbor'' (1871)
from

Cahoon Museum The Cahoon Museum of American Art is an art museum located in Cotuit, Massachusetts. It features fine art, folk art and American art from the 1800s through the present. Public programs include a series of annual changing exhibitions, tours, art ...

, Contuit, MA.
''Farragut Passing the Forts below New Orleans'' (1872)
from

Philadelphia History Museum The Philadelphia History Museum was a public history museum located in Center City, Philadelphia from 1938 until 2018. From 1938 until 2010, the museum was known as the Atwater Kent Museum. The museum occupied architect John Haviland's landmark ...

, Philadelphia, PA.
Landscape sketches
from Harvard University Art Museum.
Landscape sketches
from

Princeton University Art Museum The Princeton University Art Museum (PUAM) is the Princeton University gallery of art, located in Princeton, New Jersey. With a collecting history that began in 1755, the museum was formally established in 1882, and now houses over 117,000 work ...

.
''The Civil War Naval Scenes of Xanthus Smith''
from

Independence Seaport Museum The Independence Seaport Museum (formerly the Philadelphia Maritime Museum) was founded in 1961 and is located in the Penn's Landing complex along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The collections at the Independence Seaport Mus ...

, Philadelphia, PA. {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Xanthus 1839 births 1929 deaths Artists from Philadelphia 19th-century war artists People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni American marine artists Union Navy sailors Artists from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania American war artists Painters from Pennsylvania 19th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century American painters 19th-century American male artists 20th-century American male artists