George Washington before the Battle of Trenton
George Washington sat for Trumbull in Philadelphia in 1792; from that sitting, the artist created a fullsize canvas (Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.) and this smaller version. The general is shown on the evening before the pivotal Battle of Trenton in late 1776. He looks upward, conceiving his strategy against the vastly superior approaching enemy. The significance of the moment is expressed in the drama of the threatening sky and by the excitable horse, held in check by a soldier groom.
Artwork Details
- Title: George Washington before the Battle of Trenton
- Artist: John Trumbull (American, Lebanon, Connecticut 1756–1843 New York)
- Date: ca. 1792–94
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 26 1/2 x 18 1/2 in. (67.3 x 47 cm)
- Credit Line: Bequest of Grace Wilkes, 1922
- Object Number: 22.45.9
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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