For God and Texas
Canvas Giclee -
Limited Edition of 189 -
24x40 $800
also available
19 x 32
Rag Paper Print
Limited Edition of 975 - $140
Limited Edition of 75 A/P - $160
The Painting "For God and Texas" was completed after months of research and planning. The incredible story of bravery and sacrifice stirred my soul and so I decided to embark on this project. My knowledge of the event was sketchy, based on different Hollywood portrayals I had seen over the years. The first thing I did was read six different books on the Alamo to familiarize myself with the people involved and the how and the why. I photographed the façade of the as well as the reproduction made for John Wayne's movie in Brackettville, Texas. I then had family and friends model for me going through different battle motions dressed in period clothing. After two months of work I had a design I felt confident with and so began the 36 x 60 inch canvas. After almost six months of work the painting was complete.
What I portrayed was the very beginning of the final assault by Santa Anna's army. At 5 a.m. on March 6, 1836, the thirteen-day siege came to a violent climax. With trumpets blaring the "Deguello", the Mexican warning of no quarter, the huge army attacked. Captain Harrison's company known as the Tennessee Mounted Volunteers defended the area in front of the Alamo mission building. This group included Davy Crockett who insisted that he hold the rank of only a "high Private", and not as a Colonel as he was formally known. Travis, the commander of the Garrison placed them in the mot vulnerable spot and they proved to be up to the task. The Mexican army did not breach the wooden stockade wall they defended during the battle.
In March 1997 during the Alamo festivities, the painting was on display at the Alamo Museum. I also displayed it and gave a talk to the Alamo Society Seminar and the Alamo Defenders Descendants Association. During my research I was overjoyed to find out that my wife's Aunt, living in San Diego, is a direct descendant of Andrew Kent, one of the original defenders from Kentucky. Members of the Alamo Battlefield Association were also at hand and everyone commented that I had done my homework and portrayed the battle accurately. The only question they had was on the 1824 flag, But since no one can say for sure what flag was actually flown, I decided to use the one that most people would recognize. In fact the curator of the Alamo Museum, Richard Winders, remarked that it is the most accurate portrayal done to date. At the seminar William Chemerka, President of The Alamo Society asked me if he could use the painting on the cover of his new book, "Alamo Almanac & Book of Lists", which I consented to. The painting also is featured in the book "Art of the American West" by Caroline Linscott and Julie Christiansen-Dull, published by Rockport Publishers.
Richard Luce
