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History Painter John Trumbull

in the Revolutionary War with a series of authentic Revolutionary scenes. Many of these differed from traditional history paintings in their small size because the artist intended them to be engraved. Trumbull aimed in each case for accuracy in the event and in the persons depicted, though as noted, he made mistakes. Another way Trumbull differed from his contemporaries is that he often painted lost battles as well as victories. He did so in a way that seems to hinge on the idea of sacrifice leading to salvation. For example, Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775, depicts the subject dying in defeat. This death is presented as a sacrifice or martyrdom necessary to attain final victory. Further, it confirms that the principles of the Revolution are worth dying for (Grand Illusions 18-20).

Trumbull dreamed of assembling his historical compositions into a "Hall of Revolution;" the opportunity to do something like this came when Trumbull was commissioned to design the eight wall panels for the new United States Capitol. This was not an easy task politically because many legislators felt that the federal government should not sponsor such art works. The plan was accepted, however, because the pictures would depict scenes from the American Revolution, and thus have a positive moral effect on future generations (Pictures as History 65).

Trumbull's work in the Capitol served the interests and needs of his generation; the message he embodied in these pictures was endorsed by the Founding Fathers. The paintings did indeed represent the moral effect desired by Congress, and Trumbull earned the title of the first American history painter through this work.

John Blake White was an artist, dramatist, and lawyer. He was born in 1781 and died in 1859. He was born in South Carolina and first studied law in Columbia. In 1800, he went to London to study painting under Benjamin West. He returned to...

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History Painter John Trumbull. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 09:44, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1695766.html