John Trumbull

John Trumbull (/ˈtrʌmbəl/; June 6, 1756 – November 10, 1843) was an American artist during the American Revolutionary War. He created many historical paintings. He has been called The Painter of the Revolution.^[1]

John Trumbull
Self-portrait, c. 1802
Born	(1756-06-06)June 6, 1756 Lebanon, Colony of Connecticut, British America
Died	November 10, 1843(1843-11-10) (aged 87) New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Education	with Benjamin West
Known for	Painting
Notable work	Declaration of Independence (painted 1817–1819)

Trumbull's Declaration of Independence (1817), one of his four paintings which hang in the United States Capitol Rotunda, was used on the reverse the two-dollar bill.

Early life

Trumbull was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, in 1756. His father was Jonathan Trumbull, and his mother was Faith (née Robinson) Trumbull. His father was the Governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1784.

The young Trumbull entered the 1771 junior class at Harvard College at age fifteen. He graduated in 1773. Due to a childhood accident, Trumbull lost use of one eye. This may have influenced his detailed painting style.^[2]

Revolutionary War

As a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, Trumbull drew plans of the British and American lines and works.^[3]

Gallery

Historic events

• 
  The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775 (event 1775, painted 1786)
• 
  The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775 (event 1775, painted 1786)
• 
  The Declaration of Independence (event 1776, painted 1819)
• 
  The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776 (event 1776, painted 1786–1828)
• 
  The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777 (event 1777, c. 1787–c. 1831)
• 
  Surrender of General Burgoyne (event 1777, painted 1821)
• 
  Surrender of Lord Cornwallis (event 1781, painted 1820)
• 
  General George Washington Resigning His Commission (event 1783, painted 1824)
• 
  The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar (1789)

Portraits

• 
  Self-portrait, 1777
• 
  George Washington, 1780
• 
  Washington at Verplanck's Point, 1790
• 
  General George Washington at Trenton, 1792
• 
  George Clinton, 1791
• 
  Woman in a white dress in a painting
• 
  Self-portrait, c. 1802
• 
  Mrs Sarah Trumbull with a spaniel 1802
• 
  Alexander Hamilton, 1792
• 
  Alexander Hamilton, 1792
• 
  Alexander Hamilton, 1805
• 
  Alexander Hamilton, 1832

Miniature portraits/sketches

• 
  Israel Putnam, 1790
• 
  Richard Butler (general), 1790
• 
  Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, 1791
• 
  George Wythe, 1791

Notes

1. Johnston, Elizabeth Bryant (1882). "John Trumbull". Original Portraits of Washington, including Statues, Monuments and Medals. p. 66. OCLC 3303313.
2. "Gentleman John Trumbull". Time Magazine. 1956-10-29. Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
3. Sketch of British and American Lines and Fortifications in Boston Area by John Trumbull Archived 2019-07-31 at the Wayback Machine, 1775.

References

• Trumbull, John (1841). Autobiography, Reminiscences and Letters of John Trumbull from 1756 to 1841. New York: Wiley and Putnam.
• Weir, J. F. (1901). John Trumbull, A Brief Sketch of His Life, to which is added a Catalogue of his Works. New York: C. Scribner's sons. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
• Durand, John (1881). "John Trumbull". American Art Review. ii (2). Boston: 181–191.
• Murray, P. & L. (1996). Dictionary of Art and Artists. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-051300-0.
• Cooper, Helen A. (1983). John Trumbull: The Hand and Spirit of a Painter. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0894670244.
• Jaffe, Irma B. (1975). John Trumbull, Patriot-Artist of the American Revolution. Boston, MA: New York Graphic Society. ISBN 9780821204597.
• Sizer, Theodore (1950). The Works of Colonel John Trumbull, Artist of the American Revolution. Yale University Press.

Other websites

• The Winterthur Library Archived 2010-12-04 at the Wayback Machine Overview of an archival collection on John Trumbull.
• Union List of Artist Names, Getty Vocabularies. ULAN Full Record Display for John Trumbull. Getty Vocabulary Program, Getty Research Institute. Los Angeles, California.
• Art and the empire city: New York, 1825–1861, an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Trumbull (see index)
• Guide to the John Trumbull Papers, 1775–1842
• John Trumbull at Find a Grave