The Spirits Abroad - The Spirit of Union, from Harper's Weekly, July 28, 1860
John McNevin, American, born Ireland, 1821 - 1894
1860
Engraving, steel, newsprint
Image: 13 3/4 × 9 1/4 in. (34.9 × 23.5 cm)
Sheet: 15 3/4 × 11 in. (40 × 27.9 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Museum Purchase
PR.944.4
Publisher
Harper's Weekly
Geography
Place Made: United States, North America
Period
19th century
Object Name
Research Area
Not on view
Inscriptions
Inscribed, in plate, lower left: J.M'Nevin Inv.
Label
These two personifications of the United States reflect the nation during distinct periods of political distress. John McNevin developed this figure capturing the spirit of union as he worked among the bubbling tensions of the Civil War. Here, Unity firmly holds a shield of defense while surrounded by symbols of love, unity, and the triumph of good over evil. With this engraving, McNevin offers an alternative for national reconciliation.
Inspired by the immigrant crossing signs installed on Interstate 5 near the California-Mexico border, Lalo Alcaraz depicts the family of three with features from the Statue of Liberty. Explicitly referencing the Arizona lawmakers who created policies that infringed on the rights of immigrants, this print prompts us to question those who are meant to uphold national values.
From the 2025-26 exhibition Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda, curated by Michael W. Hartman (Jonathan Little Cohen Curator of American Art), Haely Chang (Jane and Raphael Bernstein Associate Curator of East Asian Art), Elizabeth Rice Mattison (Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art), Ashley B. Offill (Curator of Collections), and Evonne Fuselier (Hood Museum Board of Advisors Mutual Learning Fellow)
Exhibition History
Lower Hewett Corridor, Hopkins Center Art Galleries, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 23-March 21, 1976.
Revolution Reconsidered: History, Myth, and Propaganda, Harteveldt Family Gallery and Owen Robertson Cheatham Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 18, 2025 - August 8, 2026.
Provenance
Source unknown; catalogued, 1944.
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