Painting on the Window Blind

This Civil War-era painting is worth a view for any history or art enthusiast. The 1870 oil painting was painted on an old-fashioned, roll-down window blind. It is the only known surviving work of soldier and artist John H. G. Hood, a former resident of Panora. It is also the only known painting depicting a Union soldier in a Confederate uniform, which has made it quite unique and valuable. The man on horseback, James A. Hensal, who was also a resident of Panora after the war, is shown escaping Confederate capture while wearing a Confederate uniform. Both men were members of the 7th Kansas Calvary. The painting was donated by the Neil Davis Family in 2008 and now resides at the Guthrie County Historical Village and Museum in Panora, Iowa.