The painting features the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence — John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson (presenting the document), and Benjamin Franklin — standing before John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress. John Trumbull's "The Declaration of Independence" hangs in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Depicting the drafting committee presenting the document to the Continental Congress, the painting commemorates the signers. (Oil (1817) by John Trumbull, after his earlier painting of the same name (1786-95). Signing of the Declaration of Independence Unidentified, Signing of the Declaration of Independence, n.d., media undetermined, 20 3 ⁄ 4 x 30 1 ⁄ 2 in. (52. 7 x 77. 5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1966.48.43 Free to use Zoom Declaration of Independence is a 12-by-18-foot (3.7 by 5.5 m) oil-on-canvas painting by the American artist John Trumbull depicting the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress. A large oil painting depicting the presentation of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress in 1776. Learn about the historical and artistic details of this iconic scene and its four counterparts in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Object Details painter Hicks, E. Notes "American Primitive Art," Houston: Museum of Fine Arts, 1956. Control number IAP 71480797 Type Paintings Owner/Location It is “Declaration of Independence” and was meant by Trumbull “to preserve the resemblance of the men who were the authors of this memorable act.” Actually, it was on July 2d that the Congress declared the Colonies to be independent, and on July 4th the form only of that Declaration was determined. The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide. Here we're looking at John Trumbull's painting "The Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776." This is one of the icons of the history of American art but possibly the highlight of the collection of the Yale University Art Gallery, which was founded by John Trumbull in 1832. And yet, what the painting depicts is often misunderstood. Trumbull himself called this painting The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. However, this is inaccurate; this painting depicts not the signing of the document, but instead the presentation of a draft of it to Congress on 28 June 1776. Underneath, the sign: “Congress, at the Independence Hall, Philadelphia, July 4, 1776.” Wrong, wrong, wrong. Look again at the painting and see it for what it is: a sometime source of confusions. Artist John Trumbull titled it The Declaration of Independence. Nothing about July 4. Title: The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 Engraver: Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey) Artist: After John Trumbull (American, Lebanon, Connecticut 1756–1843 New York) Jefferson and Adams agreed Trumbull should include the Declaration’s signers, along with those who opposed it. In the end, Trumbull painted 47 men, five of whom did not sign the Declaration of Independence. Fourteen signers did not appear in the painting because Trumbull had no image of them. T his John Trumbull painting is often billed as “ Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776,” so it’s no surprise that many people think it depicts the signing of the Declaration of Independence The painting is sometimes incorrectly described as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In fact, the painting actually shows the five-man drafting committee presenting their draft of the Declaration to the Congress, an event that took place on June 28, 1776, and not the signing of the document, which took place later. John Trumbull's "The Declaration of Independence" hangs in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. Depicting the drafting committee presenting the document to the Continental Congress, the painting commemorates the signers. The painting Declaration of Independence is a 12-by-18-foot (3.7 by 5.5 m) oil-on-canvas work by American John Trumbull ELITEART- Scene at The Signing of The Contrary to popular belief, this painting does not depict the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Congress (that event would take place on August 2 of 1776). Rather, Trumbull chose to portray a critical moment in the debates—between the introduction of Richard Henry Lee’s motion on June 7, 1776 “that these united colonies are Trumbull himself called this painting The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. However, this is inaccurate; this painting depicts not the signing of the document, but instead the presentation of a draft of it to Congress on 28 June 1776. Congress Voting Independence of Confederation is a painting by Robert Edge Pine showing the interior of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It includes portraits of most of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. The artist worked on the painting from 1784 until his death in 1788. The painting is unfinished.
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