Declaration of Independence is a work of art made by Romantic era painter John Trumbull. John began the first version of this painting in 1786, 1817 when he was commissioned by Congress to make another version which was purchased in 1819. He began sketching the piece in Paris, convinced by Thomas Jefferson and using his memory of the event. Finally, the commissioned piece was placed in the capitol dome rotunda while the original version was placed in the Yale art gallery.
This romantic style painting showcases the drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence on June 28th, 1776, commonly thought to be the signing, which took place at a later date. In this painting, five men present a draft of the declaration to Congress. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin were painted from memory. John never met Robert Livingston or Roger Sherman, but they are also prominently featured in the painting. Several other members of the Congress are featured in the background.
This piece was created on a 12 'x18’ canvas. Originally a sketch and later a full painting, this is a very complicated piece. There are two versions of the Declaration of Independence. The first is much less documented, but began on a trip to Paris. The other was commissioned by the government much later. This is a very realistically styled romantic painting using colors like black,
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Declaration of Independence is one of the most important paintings in American history. It takes us back to a time where we were not as free as we are today. A time where the British crown crushed the colonists under its tyrannical reign. We are reminded of how difficult it was to get to where we are in history, but if you want to remember, you can look at the back of a two dollar bill and see how this image stood the test of