Declaration of Independence: John Trumbull
This picture is reflective of the moment on June 28, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was brought up and reviewed by the Second Continental Congress. This Declaration of Independence would later be adopted on July 4, 1776, and would be officially signed on August 2, 1776. This painting, along with three other paintings, were commissioned by US Congress in 1817. This was the first one to be made. On October 5, 1818, the painting was hung at the American Academy of Fine Arts in New York. I would think that is picture was a representation of a different era in American History. This was representative of America officially forming a document to declare their independence. This was a significant time since they had always been under British rule and were controlled by their laws, rules, and taxes. All of the…show more content… This was another of the four paintings that Trumbull was commissioned to paint in 1817. This painting was displayed in a few different places until 1820 when it was finally delivered to the US Capital. This painting is significant because it signifies the end of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. One might be a little confused as to why George Washington isn’t the one accepting the sword of surrender, but according to many, he didn’t feel the need to since it wasn’t actually Cornwallis that was surrendering. In the picture, you see General Lincoln on the white horse accepting the sword of surrender from some no-name British soldier. You can also see the American soldiers standing to the side with the American flag flying high above. I feel that this painting is something that everyone should be able to understand the importance and meaning of. There is so much meaning to this painting and there should be no questions as to why it was commissioned or what the artist was trying to
