One of Homer's most notable early works, the painting depicts a scene in which Confederate officers surrender to Union Brigadier General Francis Channing Barlow during the American Civil War.

[1][2] Citing Prisoners' style, tone, and provenance, American art critic Peter Schjeldahl once called Homer's work "The most telling of all paintings about the Civil War.

Frances Pohl argues that the painting, by minimizing the contrast between winner and loser, presents the war as "a renegotiation of terms" between North and South rather than a complete break between them.

Prisoners from the Front continues to be regarded as an example of historical art that thrives on ambiguity, conveying conflicting messages about the Civil War as a tragic, fratricidal event.

[8] The painting is both featured and referenced in the movie Gettysburg, with it appearing in the opening credits and being mirrored in a scene where Lieutenant Thomas Chamberlain speaks to three Confederate prisoners.