by
Michael John Hunt
Acrylic on Panel
16″ x 12″
Soldiers’ Rest
Soldiers’ Rest is an historic house located in Berryville, Virginia. It was built in the early 19th century and served as a hospital during the Civil War for wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate. After the war it had several owners and today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the time we were visiting Virginia, the house was vacant and about to be restored. The present owner knew Michael’s passion for recording historic buildings and invited Michael to wander around and make some sketches. Michael usually prefers to capture an historic building in its present state rather than wait until it’s done.
The house is known for its beautiful architecture, which features a mix of Federal and Greek Revival styles. It has a spacious front porch and large windows that allow for plenty of sunlight, which was perfect for Michael, whose use of natural light is well known for creating a sense of depth and dimensionality. Fortunately, the interior still features many original details, including ornate mouldings, hardwood floors and decorative fireplaces. Michael has captured the unique character of the room.
Michael’s resulting painting of Soldiers’ Rest has captured the unique character of the room and shows one of the large windows allowing the viewer to see the rural setting of the house, which is surrounded by mature trees. Next to the window is one of the original fireplaces, on which there is a lantern.
We enjoyed our visits to Soldiers’ Rest hugely and our stay in delightful Berryville.