Union General Louis Blencker Civil War Hand-Painted Miniature Portrait Artist Signed + Dated, 1862

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Early American History Auctions - December 20...

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Dec 20, 2025

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• Lot Description
  Paintings
  Civil War Union General Louis Blencker Miniature Painting Signed & Dated 1862 by Artist Ferdinand Alexander Wust
  1862-Dated Civil War Period, Original Hand-Painted Miniature Portrait of Union General Louis Blencker, Artist Signed and Dated, "Th. Wust / Washington / 1862", (Ferdinand Alexander Wust, Dutch-American,1837-1876), Choice Near Mint.
  A beautifully rendered, quality Hand-Painted Portrait Miniature of Union General Louis Blencker in his Dress Military Uniform on natural white material, shown with a red silk lined cloak over his left shoulder. This chest-up Portrait Painting is Signed by the Artist over Blencker's left shoulder, "Th. Wust / Washington / 1862."
  The Miniature Painting measures 3.25" x 2-5/8" being surrounded by a mat, which was popular in the 1860s. The glass is held in place by a gilt metal surround, and the frame is walnut, the overall size being fully to 5.5" x 4.75". An inscription on the back reads: "Genl Louis Blencker of Civil War fame painted by his Compatriot Theo Wust Washington 1862." There is a small hanging loop at the top of the frame, superb for display.
  Louis Blencker distinguished himself at 1st Bull Run, where his regiment covered the Union retreat and recovered two Union Colors which the fleeing soldiers had left on the field. He was promoted to Brigadier General for his steady actions. After regrouping, Blencker's brigade was ordered to West Virginia.
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  Artist Ferdinand Alexander Wust was born in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, the son of Dutch portraitist Chistoffel Wust. By the late 1850s, he had made his way to New York City where he opened his artist's studio.
  Wust is best known for his landscapes of the Adirondacks, Catskill Mountains, and the Mohawk Valley in New York State, the Green Mountains and New England executed in a detailed, romantic style comparable to that of the Hudson River School. Wust painted scenes of Lake Winnepesaukee, Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and Mount Desert Island, Maine.
  Like the Hudson River School artists, 19th century artist Ferdinand Alexander Wust captured on canvas the wild, unspoiled areas of Adirondack and Catskill Mountains in New York State and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. His landscapes present the viewer with an accurate portrayal of majestic topography sculpted by nature over vast geologic time. Many of his works are bathed in a luministic aura that adds an emotional depth. In the early 1870's Wust visited Norway where he painted it's rugged, mountainous terrain.
  He moved to Europe in 1874 and died in 1876 at Antwerp, Belgium. Wust exhibited at the National Academy of Design, Brooklyn Art Association and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Boston Atheneum.
  He was awarded a Gold medal at the universal art exhibition in Brussels and The Hague (1866) and awarded a medal at the Vienna World's Fair (1873).
  Louis Blencker was born in Worms, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany on July 31, 1812. He served as a lieutenant in the Bavarian Legion. Because of his participation in the 1848 revolutionary government, he was forced to leave Germany and Switzerland, coming to the United States in 1849. He first took up farming in Rockland County, New York, then became a businessman in New York City. In April 1861, he was commissioned a Colonel in the 8th NY Volunteers, a unit he had organized.
  Louis Blencker distinguished himself at 1st Bull Run, where his regiment covered the Union retreat and recovered two Union Colors which the fleeing soldiers had left on the field. He was promoted to Brigadier General for his steady actions. After regrouping, Blencker's brigade was ordered to West Virginia. The movement was a classic example of the logistical problems which plagued the Union army in the early part of the war.
  The unit took part in operations against Stonewall Jackson and fought at the Battle of Cross Keys. After being superseded by the politically connected General Sigel, Blencker returned to Washington and, receiving no further assignments, resigned his commission in March 1863. He died on October 31, 1863, of injuries he had received from a fall off his horse during the Virginia campaign.
  
  
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