John W. Jones (artist)
Encyclopedia
John W. Jones is an American artist who first gained acclaim for his series "Confederate Currency: The Color of Money." Self-taught and drafted into the U.S. Army in 1970, he served in Vietnam, eventually becoming an Army illustrator. Examining Confederate banknotes, he became interested in the depiction of the slave economy in the American South before and during the Civil War. Banknotes of the era often depicted slaves as happy workers on the cotton plantations. Jones has said his intent is to demonstrate that banknotes served a propaganda purpose in depicting slavery as a natural state of affairs and one on which the Southern states' economies rested.
Jones decided to recreate these scenes in large, color paintings, using friends as models and posing them as in the original etched images. He exhibits his paintings next to the banknote with the origianl etching.
More recently, he has created a series of paintings, "Lowcountry Gullah Series." He also painted a series featuring the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
, a regiment of Black soldiers that fought for the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
Jones decided to recreate these scenes in large, color paintings, using friends as models and posing them as in the original etched images. He exhibits his paintings next to the banknote with the origianl etching.
More recently, he has created a series of paintings, "Lowcountry Gullah Series." He also painted a series featuring the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States during the Civil War...
, a regiment of Black soldiers that fought for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.