Civil War Regalia of Major Levi Gheen McCauley
George Cope (American, 1855–1929)
1887
View the original$11
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Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front. Sized to standard frames by cropping, never stretching — at most about 3% comes off one edge, which isn’t noticeable on most pieces, and we only offer a size when it stays that small.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and delivered in 5–8 business days (2–4 to print, 3–4 in transit). US shipping only for now. Because each print is made for your order, all sales are final — but if it arrives damaged or defective, send us a photo within 14 days and we’ll replace it free. Full policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A thin, flat margin on every piece — just enough to keep the store running. Most of what you pay is the print itself. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
George Cope was commissioned in 1887 by his friend Levi McCauley of West Chester, Pennsylvania, to commemorate Major McCauley’s service in the Civil War. He depicted the ensemble of military artifacts in a style known as trompe l’oeil (French for “fools the eye”). With its shallow backdrop, precisely rendered objects—including swords, medals, a leather belt and buckle, a Major’s kepi (hat), and a holster—and accompanying shadows, the composition is convincing in its illusionism, drawing viewers in for a closer look.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 127 × 92.7 cm (50 × 36 1/2 in.)
Museum record · 2 owners · 3 exhibitions
Provenance
- Commissioned by Levi Gheen McCauley, West Chester, PA; by descent to his nephew, Louis G. McCauley, Binghampton, NY, by 1922; by descent to his son Robert G. McCauley.
- Schwarz, Philadelphia, by 1997; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2000.
Exhibitions
- Philadelphia, Bailey, Banks & Biddle, Oct. 1887.
- Greensburg, PA, Westmoreland Museum of Art, Penn's Promise: Still–Life Painting in Pennsylvania, 1898–1930, 1988, as Civil War Accoutrements.
- Shanghai Museum, Pathways to Modernism: American Art, 1865–1945, Sept. 28, 2018–Jan. 6, 2019.
