Tragic Prelude

Tragic Prelude, a 1938 mural painted by John Steuart Curry, graces a wall in the Kansas State Capitol. It depicts John Brown's actions in Kansas as a prelude to the Civil War that would soon follow his raid at Harpers Ferry..

The mural is on the south wall of the east wing of the Kansas statehouse, second floor, and is 11' 6" tall by 31 feet long. It was painted with oil and egg tempura paint. It was commissioned and painted from 1937 to 1942.

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Credit: John Steuart Curry
Ownership: Kansas Historical Society
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