The Reading of an Official Dispatch from the Mexican-American War

MICHAEL HARTMAN, Curator of American Art

When first exhibited in 1849, this painting by John Magee was described as "a family receiving news of the death of one of its members in battle; a friend is reading the newspaper to the wife, whom the rest are endeavoring to console." The soldier's wife grieves at center with her daughter. Her head falls toward her father-in-law, while her mother-in-law stands behind. The soldier's brother leans on the back of his father's chair. The soldier killed is portrayed in the large full-length portrait hanging in the background; he is seated with his arms crossed in front of an army encampment. At the lower right, the soldier's son lifts his hand to his mouth, as if contemplating whether he will take up his father's mantle. He is surrounded by toys—the drums of battle, a sword, and a soldier atop a horse—that symbolize that he, too, will one day serve the United States. Looming over the scene at the upper right, a printed reproduction of John Trumbull's The Declaration of Independence reminds the viewer of the human sacrifices required by nationhood. 

Magee's painting debuted shortly after the end of the Mexican-American War (1846–48), a war campaign waged by the United States to force Mexico to relinquish claims to much of the Western United States and establish the Rio Grande as Mexico's northern border with the United States. The war inspired patriotism among some and criticism from others, particularly due to the casualties and monetary cost. It likewise complicated questions about the fate of slavery in the United States via the newly acquired lands. 

The title of this work, The Reading of an Official Dispatch from the Mexican-American War, references the expansion of technology and importance of the telegraph. This newly invented means of communication allowed information from the front lines of the war to reach US audiences much faster than ever before. The telegraph, and access to increased information about the Mexican-American War, even led to the establishment of the Associated Press during this period. The young man at the center reading the "official dispatch," as well as the child outside selling newspapers, directly references the increased access to information at this time. As much as this painting is about war, patriotism, and questions about the nation's future, it is also a response to this new technology. 

In addition, John Magee's painting was distributed as part of the American Art Union lottery. This subscription-based organization aimed to educate the public about the latest developments in contemporary American art. Subscribers received free admission to the American Art Union exhibitions, an original engraving made from one of the paintings exhibited, and a chance to win an original painting. At its height, the American Art Union counted nearly nineteen thousand members hailing from nearly every state. Magee's painting was one of the works given away to a subscriber, the winner being the painting's first owner: G. M. Bowen of New York. 

Few other paintings by Magee are known. For much of his career, he specialized in lithography; he died in New York in 1900. 

Click here to view this object's catalogue entry.