Declaration of Independence
Here, Thomas Jefferson and his editorial committee stand inside the Pennsylvania State House and present a draft of the Declaration to the Second Continental Congress on June 28, 1776; it would be formally adopted on July 4. Forty-two of the original signers and six additional patriots are portrayed. Trumbull began the related painting under Jefferson’s guidance in Paris, in 1786. The artist’s insistence on depicting as many figures from life as possible delayed completion until 1820. It then took Durand, one of America’s first master engravers, three more years to complete this print, which helped make the image ubiquitous.
Artwork Details
- Title: Declaration of Independence
- Engraver: Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
- Artist: After John Trumbull (American, Lebanon, Connecticut 1756–1843 New York)
- Date: 1820–23
- Medium: Etching and engraving; fifth state of six
- Dimensions: Image: 20 1/16 × 30 3/16 in. (51 × 76.7 cm)
Plate: 23 15/16 × 32 1/8 in. (60.8 × 81.6 cm)
Sheet: 25 9/16 × 36 1/8 in. (65 × 91.8 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Morrison H. Heckscher, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.29
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Attributed to Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
ca. 1862
Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
1826
Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
1796–1886
Attributed to Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
1824–27
Attributed to Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
1824–37
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