Wednesday, May 26, 2010

USA: Declaration of Independence

Image: John Trumbull's 1919 painting, ‘Declaration of Independence’, depicts the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence presenting their work to the Congress. Artist: John Trumbull, Type: oil-on-canvas; Dimensions: 365.76 cm x 548.64 cm (144 in x 216 in); Location: United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., United States of America

File: dimension: 1600 x 1051, size: 170 KB (Original: 3000 x 1970; size: 5.16 MB). Click on the image for a larger view.

John Trumbull's oil painting ‘Declaration of Independence’ is in the United States Capitol Rotunda. It depicts the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Congress, an event that took place on June 28, 1776. The oil-on-canvas painting was commissioned in 1817, purchased in 1819, and placed in the rotunda in 1826.

The painting shows 42 of the 56 signers of the Declaration. Trumbull wanted to include all 56 signers, but was unable to obtain likenesses for all of them. Because the Declaration was debated and signed over a period of time, the membership in the Congress changed and the men in the painting had never all been in the same room at the same time.

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