Steve Justice Studio

Art - Design

Saint Stonewall of Shenanidoah

Steve Justice Title: Saint Stonewall of Shenanidoah Material: oil on canvas Size: 46x46 Year: 2013 “Mystery, mystery, is the secret to success.” -- Thomas L. “Stonewall” Jackson My ancestors fought in the Civil War for the North’s Virginia/West Virginia Volunteers, who had their asses kicked up and down the Shenandoah Valley by the crafty tactician, rebel mystic and symbol of “the cause”, Stonewall Jackson, here deified in Christ-pose with a heart of lemon. (Lemons were his favorite snack.) The battle flag of the secession states is subtly suggested in the stonewall clouds in the sky. Title: Saint Stonewall of Shenanidoah
Material: oil on canvas
Size: 46×46
Year: 2013

Mystery, mystery is the secret to success.     – Thomas L. “Stonewall” Jackson

My ancestors fought in the Civil War for the North’s Virginia (West Virginia) Volunteers, who got their asses kicked up and down the Shenandoah Valley

by the crafty, unpredictable tactician, rebel holy man and poster-boy for the Southern cause, Stonewall Jackson, here mockingly deified in Christ-pose with a heart of lemon (which was his favorite snack, and probably hard to come by), and the red robe, wings and halo customarily assigned in such situations.   Those on the losing end of this futile rebellion actually thought that highly of him.

The eyesore known as the battle flag of the secession states is subtly suggested in the faded, stonewall-like clouds in the sky.  Stonewall’s missing button is a reference to a tale in which one was removed by him as a souvenir for a child.

Jackson was killed by friendly (?) fire about halfway through the war, at the Battle of Chancellorsville.  His arm was buried near there, but the rest of him was buried near his home in Lexington, Virginia.  His horse Sorrel is stuffed and on display at the Virginia Military Institute Museum, for inspection by anyone interested in 19th century taxidermy.