Unknown, 2nd Regiment, United States Colored Light Artillery, Battery A: Ready, ca. 1864, Albumen silver print, dimensions not given, collection of Julia J. Norrell
Shadows of History: Photographs of the Civil War
September 19, 2015 – January 3, 2016
The American Civil War was one of the first conflicts to be extensively documented by photography. The public had never before seen such powerful images of human devastation and the destructive impact of war. Inspired by the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Corcoran presents this focused collection developed in recent years by Washington collector Julia (“Judy”) Norrell. The photographs capture a wide range of subjects, from geographical views, landscapes, and portraits of soldiers and officers at rest, to the death and destruction in the aftermath of battles. Photographs by George Barnard, Issac H. Bonsall, Matthew Brady, Alexander Gardner, James F. Gibson, Frederick F. Gutekunst, Timothy H. O’Sullivan, Andrew J. Russell, D. B. Woodbury, and others, are included. A special emphasis of the collection is rare imagery of African American regiments and their underappreciated role in the war. In addition, to strengthen the presentation of the role of African Americans in the Civil War, a major tableau by Whitfield Lovell is included. It features a life-size portrait of an African American soldier.
James Prosek: At Work
July 11–October 25, 2026
James Prosek: At Work celebrates the significant projects that define the artist’s first 30 years of artmaking. This comprehensive survey presents the remarkable breadth of his practice, from on-the-spot field studies to studio work in painting, watercolor, and sculpture.
Jill Nathanson: Chromatic Phrases
July 25, 2026–February 7, 2027
This exhibition presents recent work by Jill Nathanson, whose abstract paintings are shaped through a deliberate process that balances spontaneity with a predetermined structure. This interplay between intention and material response brings into focus the dynamic movement of layered color.