W. Gilbert Gaul (1855-1919) American School SONG OF VICTORY, circa 1885 44 x 34 inches Oil on canvas Signed “Gilbert Gaul, Copyrighted” SONG OF VICTORY illustrates a regiment of Union Soldiers expressing their emotional joy and relief as word reaches them on the battlefield that they have been victorious. These few men and boys are all that remain of a regiment which at the beginning of the war numbered 1000 or more. They still carry the regiment flag which has been lettered with the battles in which they have fought. The fallen bugle and Confederate cap represent the ultimate triumph of the Union over the defeated South. Gaul’s incredible realism in the portrayal of the trauma and tragedy of war is evident in the haunting expressions on the faces of the soldiers. They are exhausted, war-torn, and have suffered tremendous hardship, yet they remain loyal to their country and their cause. The painting is a lasting tribute to the devotion and tenacity of those who fought friend against friend and brother to defend that whoch they believed to be the only acceptable course for their country – national unity.

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