I shall hazard much and can possibly gain nothering by the issue of this interview... Hamilton before his duel with Burr, 1804

1956

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

A legendary episode in American history, recently popularized in a landmark Broadway musical, the final confrontation between personal and political rivals former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr transpired July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey, on a popular dueling ground along the Hudson River. Burr issued the challenge, asserting Hamilton had disgraced his honor while thwarting his political ambitions. The panel’s title derives from a letter Hamilton penned prior to the duel detailing his motivations and regrets for accepting it. In Lawrence’s depiction, Burr’s ominous shadow appears at the center of the painting, while Hamilton, at right, acknowledges his mortal wound. John Trumbull’s full-length portrait of Hamilton can be seen in Gallery 755 in the Museum’s American Wing.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: I shall hazard much and can possibly gain nothering by the issue of this interview... Hamilton before his duel with Burr, 1804
Artist: Jacob Lawrence (American, Atlantic City, New Jersey 1917–2000 Seattle, Washington)
Date: 1956
Medium: Egg tempera on hardboard
Dimensions: 12 × 16 in. (30.5 × 40.6 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Collection of Harvey and Harvey-Ann Ross
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art