Battle Art

We share historical art of Custer’s Last Stand in this section of our website. Anyone that studies the Battle of the Little Bighorn has a picture in their mind of what took place on Last Stand Hill. That image is as unique as each individual. Countless artists, illustrators, filmmakers and television producers have created endless dramatizations of this historic event.

Eric von Schmidt is a historical artist who followed in his famous father’s footsteps, Harold von Schmidt. Harold was an illustrator for “Saturday Evening Post” and was a close friend of filmmaker John Ford. Many of Harold’s illustrations provided creative input for scenes in Ford’s films starring John Wayne.

Eric’s masterpiece, “Here Fell Custer” is probably THE most accurate portrayal of what took place those final moments on Last Stand Hill. You view it at the top of every page on this website. Its subject is unique since it's told from the point of view of the soldiers on that hill. “Here Fell Custer” is the National Park Service official painting of the last stand where it is displayed on the wayside interpretive panel adjacent to the 7^th Cavalry Monument on Last Stand Hill.

Martin Pate is also featured on our site. Martin was chosen by the National Park Service to paint the many subjects of the battle for the new roadside panel exhibits. These paintings are finely detailed and cover various moments of the battle such as Reno’s frantic retreat from the Little Bighorn valley floor across the river and atop the steep bluffs. The noble stand of Lt. James Calhoun’s Company L recreates the soldiers in perfect skirmish order just as Captain Benteen would later imagine.

Martin’s current painting, "In the Arms of Immortality”, is available in a print and Martin is donating portions of each sale to our organization. You can view and order the print in Martin Pate’s section of this website.

Western artist, Thom Ross, has been painting his distinctive vision of the west for many years. Chances are good that you'll find his artwork on the cover of many books about the west.

We hope you enjoy browsing this portion of the Friends’ website.

(Back to Top)

Become A Member Of The Friends