Canvassing the Freedom of a Nation
Among the four paintings created by John Trumbull that adorn the walls of the Capitol Rotunda to commemorate the greatest events of the American Revolution, one in particular makes reference to a salient part of the history of the United States, if not even the history of the world. For it depicts the moment on 28th of June, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was submitted for consideration at the Second Continental Congress which was held in the Pennsylvania State House, now the Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The painting from the Capitol Rotunda was commissioned by the US Congress in 1817 and represents an enlarged version of the original painting the artist started to create back in 1786. Trumbull’s work illustrates 47 delegates, having in the foreground the five members of the committee in charge of drafting the document with Thomas Jefferson, its main author, handing in the first draft to John Hancock, president of the Congress (Architect of Capitol, n.d.). To be fair, if one would judge John Trumbull’s creation for its historical accuracy, then the essence of the painting would be lost in vain. Right from the very beginning, his intention was not to offer an accurate representation of the events from June, 1776, but to immortalize a moment with implications of great importance in the birth of the United States, as legacy for next generations, and to preserve the authentic likenesses of the extraordinary individuals to whom the United States owes “the memorable act and all its glorious consequences” (Trumbull, 1817 cited in Hazleton, 1907), while making sure to include all five members of the committee submitting the draft, rather than Thomas Jefferson alone like in reality (Yale University Art Gallery, n.d.). More
