Artwork & Words © Richard Ewing all rights reserved

Artwork & Words © Richard Ewing all rights reserved

Monday, November 26, 2012

IF ...whiskers

Considered to be one of the more incompetent Civil War generals for the Army of the Potomac, Ambrose Burnside's dubious claim to fame was his peculiar whisker configuration; which was so well known that for a time they were called 'Burnsides' by anyone wearing them. ~~Somewhere along the way the syllables were reversed and the whiskers have been referred to as sideburns ever since.
 © Richard Ewing.  All rights reserved.
 © Richard Ewing.  All rights reserved.
 © Richard Ewing.  All rights reserved.
© Richard Ewing.  All rights reserved.
Thank you, and enjoy.
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9 comments:

  1. Elizabeth Rose StantonNovember 27, 2012 at 9:54 AM

    Them's sum whiskers! Thanks for the history tid-bit :)

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  2. AnonymousNovember 27, 2012 at 11:47 AM

    Oh I love seeing your sketches!

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  3. Rod MacGregorNovember 27, 2012 at 1:47 PM

    Great work! Burnside looks as though he is about to take off!...In England, when I was a Kid...we called them 'sideboards'...I know when I was about 13 I was desperate for a pair!

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    Replies
    1. Richard EwingNovember 27, 2012 at 3:45 PM

      Oh dear.
      I'm thinking that we may have a case of competing histories, we in the U.S. have our Ambrose Burnside, and you in England likely have your Horatio Boardside.
      ~~Hopes are no one got airbrushed out of history in the porcess...
      .

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  4. Mardi SpethNovember 28, 2012 at 4:58 PM

    I LOVE those whiskers! I find this illustration very amusing, even though all those dead bodies suggest otherwise. The popping buttons are a nice touch, as is the background wash that alludes to dried blood. Very thoughtful composition and details ... your signature style. I really enjoy seeing how you push and pull the forms. Very masterful!

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  5. Cindy D.November 28, 2012 at 8:32 PM

    Oh my goodness what a story! And then for England to have the competing (or complementary?) figure. I love that! A hilarious character and illustration, my goodness. Wonderful details.

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  6. AHAviewsNovember 29, 2012 at 1:53 PM

    The carriage, the nostril flare, oh, I really enjoyed how much you say in these portraits. Great stuff.

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  7. Creations By MitNovember 30, 2012 at 4:41 AM

    What an imposing & menacing presence! He certainly fills out a uniform!
    You always tell such a great story with your characters, & then as a bonus, I always seem to find myself learning something new with the accompanying text!

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  8. Alice AndreiniDecember 1, 2012 at 11:02 PM

    Ha! he reminds me of certain Dean that I have known who has a similar demeanor. You captured perfectly the pomposity and disregard of the man. But wow...what large Burdsides he has. There is a fact that i would not have know if it were not for you.
    All those bodies. A sad consequence of incompetencies. I thought that they were leaves at first

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