John Trumbull (June 6, 1756 – November 10, 1843) was an American painter and military officer best known for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called the "Painter of the Revolution". Trumbull's Declaration of Independence (1817), one of his four paintings that hang in the United States Capitol rotunda, is used on the reverse of the current United States two-dollar bill.

Early life and education

Trumbull was born in Lebanon in Connecticut Colony in 1756, to Jonathan Trumbull and Faith (née Robinson) Trumbull. His father served as governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1784. Both sides of his family were descended from early Puritan settlers of Connecticut.

He had two older brothers, Joseph Trumbull, the first commissary general of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and Jonathan Trumbull Jr., who became the second Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Trumbull entered the 1771 junior class at Harvard College at age 15 and graduated in 1773. Due to a childhood accident, Trumbull lost the use of one eye, which may have influenced his detailed painting style.

Career

American Revolutionary War

As a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, Trumbull rendered a particular service at Boston by sketching plans of the British and American lines and works. He witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was appointed second aide-de-camp to General George Washington, and in June 1776, deputy adjutant general to General Horatio Gates. Trumbull resigned from the army in 1777; the cause was reported to be a dispute over the dating of his commission, which would have blocked him from further promotion.

In 1780, a financially struggling Trumbull decided to work as a professional artist and sailed to London, via France where he was introduced to Benjamin Franklin. Trumbull studied under Benjamin West. At West's suggestion, Trumbull painted small pictures of the American Revolutionary War and miniature portraits. He painted about 250 such portraits in his lifetime. He also painted the portrait of Washington from memory during this time.

Arrested in Britain

On September 23, 1780, British agent Major John André was captured by Continental Army troops in North America; he was hanged as a spy on October 2, 1780. After news reached Great Britain, outrage flared and Trumbull was arrested for treason, since he was known to be an officer in the Continental Army and of similar rank to André.

Trumbull was imprisoned for seven months at Tothill Fields Bridewell in London.

Return to America

Ostracized from British society, Trumbull returned to the United States upon his release, on a voyage that lasted six months. Arriving in late January 1782, he found employment with his brother David as a commissary agent for the army stationed at New Windsor, New York, during the winter of 1782 and 1783.

Postwar years

thumb|right|upright|John Trumbull, painted by [[Gilbert Stuart in 1818]]

In 1784, following Britain's recognition of United States' sovereignty and independence, Trumbull returned to London to complete his apprenticeship with West. His first major work, The Deputation from the Senate Presenting to Cincinnatus the Command of the Roman Armies, was accepted and displayed by the Royal Academy of Arts in that year. In this work, Trumbull painted Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus in the likeness of George Washington. The painting's current location is unknown. While working in his studio, Trumbull painted Battle of Bunker Hill and Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec; both works are now housed at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut.

In July 1786, Trumbull traveled to Paris, where he made portrait sketches of French officers, including Surrender of Lord Cornwallis. With assistance from Thomas Jefferson, who was then serving in Paris as the American minister to France, Trumbull began the early composition of the Declaration of Independence.) and John Jay. Trumbull was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1791 and elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1792.

He painted portraits of John Adams (1797), Jonathan Trumbull, and Rufus King (1800); Timothy Dwight and Stephen Van Rensselaer (both at Yale), Alexander Hamilton (one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and one in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, both taken from Ceracchi's bust), a self-portrait (1833), a full-length of Washington, held at Charleston, South Carolina; a full-length of Washington in uniform, General George Washington at Trenton, (1792, at Yale); and portraits of President and Mrs. Washington (1794), in the National Museum of American History.

Later years

thumb|right|upright|Trumbull, painted by [[James Frothingham]]Trumbull was appointed president of the American Academy of the Fine Arts in New York City, serving from 1816 to 1836. Emphasizing classical traditions, Trumbull did not get along with the students. At the same time, his painting skills declined. In 1825, many of the students withdrew, founding the National Academy of Design. Unable to accommodate to changing tastes, the American Academy later closed in 1839 after a second fire destroyed its collections.

Trumbull wrote his autobiography, which he published in 1841. He died in New York City at the age of 87 on November 10, 1843.

Legacy and honors

right|thumb|Reverse of [[U.S. two-dollar bill, featuring Trumbull's Declaration of Independence]]

thumb|upright=.5|Trumbull commemorative postage stamp, 1968

  • Trumbull was originally interred (along with his wife) beneath the Art Gallery at Yale University, which he had designed. In 1867, the collection of his works was moved to the newly built Street Hall. His wife and his remains were reinterred on those grounds. The Trumbull Gallery was later razed.
  • 1965, the John Trumbull Birthplace in Lebanon, Connecticut, was declared a National Historic Landmark.
  • 1968, a John Trumbull commemorative postage stamp was printed.
  • Actor Buzz Bovshow played John Trumbull in the television miniseries John Adams.
  • "No John Trumbull" is a deleted song from the musical Hamilton.

Paintings

  • The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775
  • The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775
  • Declaration of Independence
  • The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776
  • The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777
  • The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga
  • The Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown
  • General George Washington Resigning His Commission
  • Portraits of George Washington, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton
  • The Death of Aemilius Paullus at the Battle of Cannae
  • The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar
  • Self-portrait
  • Portrait of Josiah Bartlett
  • Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (1740–1809) with Mrs. Trumbull (Eunice Backus) (1749–1826) and Faith Trumbull (1769–1846)

Historic events

<gallery widths="140px" heights="140px" perrow="4">

File:The death of general warren at the battle of bunker hill.jpg|The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775 (event 1775, painted 1786)

File:The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec December 31 1775.jpeg|The Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, December 31, 1775 (event 1775, painted 1786)

File:Declaration of Independence (1819), by John Trumbull.jpg|The Declaration of Independence (event 1776, painted 1819)

File:The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton December 26 1776.jpeg|The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776 (event 1776, painted 1786–1828)

File:The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton January 3 1777.jpeg|The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777 (event 1777, –)

File:Surrender of General Burgoyne.jpg|Surrender of General Burgoyne (event 1777, painted 1821)

File:Surrender of Lord Cornwallis.jpg|Surrender of Lord Cornwallis (event 1781, painted 1820)

File:General George Washington Resigning his Commission.jpg|General George Washington Resigning His Commission (event 1783, painted 1824)

File:The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar.jpg|The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar (1789)

</gallery>

Portraits

<gallery widths="140" heights="140" perrow="4">

File:Self Portrait John Trumbull 1777.jpeg|Self-portrait, 1777

File:George Washington by John Trumbull (1780).jpg|George Washington, 1780

File:Washington at Verplanck's Point by John Trumbull.jpg|Washington at Verplanck's Point, 1790

File:General George Washington at Trenton by John Trumbull.jpeg|General George Washington at Trenton, 1792

File:George Clinton by John Trumbull 1791.jpg|George Clinton, 1791

File:Lady in White by John Trumbull.jpg|Lady in White

File:Self Portrait by John Trumbull circa 1802.jpeg|Self-portrait,

File:Sarah Trumbull with a Spaniel by John Trumbull.jpeg|Mrs Sarah Trumbull with a spaniel 1802

File:Alexander Hamilton A17950.jpg|Alexander Hamilton, 1792

File:Google Arts Project - Alexander Hamilton (1792 portrait) by John Trumbull.jpg|Alexander Hamilton, 1792

File:John Trumbull - John Adams - Google Art Project.jpg|Portrait of John Adams, 1793

File:Hamilton Trumbull - 1805.jpg|Alexander Hamilton, 1805

File:Richard varick 1805 john trumbull.png|Richard Varick, 1805

</gallery>

Miniature portraits/sketches

<gallery widths="140px" heights="140px" perrow="4">

File:Israel Putnam by Trumbull - Project Gutenberg eText 17049.png|Israel Putnam, 1790

File:Richard butler.jpg|Richard Butler (general), 1790

File:Charles Cotesworth Pinckney by John Trumbull.jpg|Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, 1791

File:George Wythe by John Trumbull.jpg|George Wythe, 1791

</gallery>

References

Further reading

  • John Trumbull papers (MS 506). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.
  • The Winterthur Library 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 that contains material on Trumbull
  • Guide to the John Trumbull Papers, 1775–1842; New-York Historical Society