Young America Rising at the Ballot-Box and Strangling the Serpents: Disunion and Secession
1860
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1860
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This woodcut shows a muscular young man standing over two writhing snakes labeled "Disunion" and "Secession." He’s holding a ballot box in one hand, while his other arm is raised like he’s crushing the snakes. The background is plain, but the text around him reads things like "Young America Rising" and "Virtuous Indignation." The snakes have faces—one looks sneaky, the other angry—and their bodies twist around the man’s legs. The whole scene feels like a political cartoon, using strong lines and shading to show struggle. If you like this style, look up engraving to see how artists carved these sharp details into wood.
