The Splendid Naval Triumph on the Mississippi, April 24th, 1862 1862

Curator: This piece is titled "The Splendid Naval Triumph on the Mississippi, April 24th, 1862," a print created by Currier and Ives. Editor: Whoa, a naval battle caught mid-chaos. There's so much smoke and fire! The sky is obscured by gunpowder haze. It feels romantic, almost operatic, in its intensity, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. The image, being a lithograph and engraving, allows for incredibly fine details in capturing the density of the smoke, the sharp angles of the ships, and the churning water. To me the flags here carry a particular weight, even knowing what I do about their symbolism. Editor: It’s interesting how the flags sort of get lost in all the combustion. A symbolic comment, maybe? Everything looks chaotic and destructive. I see cannons blazing and exploding, and there is this palpable feeling of destruction – not particularly “splendid” unless you like grand spectacles of fire. I mean it has this feeling, like a ship trying to find her port when her navigational beacons just have given way in a terrible storm. Curator: True! While the title emphasizes "triumph", the image acknowledges the brutal reality. Note that battle scenes, even if idealized, tend to be staged to evoke a strong sense of patriotic sentiment. The smoke almost functions as a theater curtain—revealing the action for its audience. It could speak of progress emerging, perhaps, even through terrible sacrifice. Editor: Huh. Sacrifice! An interesting insight. The visual dominance of fire as an element could also connect this specific naval battle to a collective narrative of fire and rebirth – and given the period, this relates also to purification after times of darkness – a symbolic beacon? The black ships almost stand out in contrast to this backdrop. The imagery certainly makes this more complex than mere triumphant commemoration. Curator: Precisely. Even in popular prints like this, we discover subtle cultural memory embedded in the artistic choices. Editor: Agreed, so much more than what meets the eye when one first views the work, from my own experience with it! Curator: Indeed! It is also that for me, still—after my own viewing time here in its presence.