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As I wrote my other post about pride in Washington crossing the Delaware, I became curious about the painting that celebrates it. The painting is so commonplace that I don't really give thought to it. But I noticed it was painting by a German-American Emmanuel Leutze, which seemed odd. It turns out he had grown up in America but returned to Germany as an adult. After the failed revolutions of 1848 in Europe, he painted Washington Crossing the Delaware to encourage Europe's liberal reformers not to despair after their recent setbacks.
There are some interesting features of the painting. Although the crossing took place late on the night of 25 December, Leutze depicts the light of dawn in the background. The dawn illumines George Washington and the flag, making them the visual center of the painting. In the painting Washington is the only figure standing straight while several other figures with their oars and the flagpole itself are leaning backward and depicting action. This emphasizes the central role of Washington and his enduring character.
The men in the boat are significant too and show the unity of all classes of Americans behind the Revolution. The front man is a Western rifleman in a coonskin cap. Behind him are a Scotsman in his bonnet and a black man. In the rear of the boat is another Westerner, two farmers in broad hats, and an American Indian at the stern. All America joined together to fight the British.
Around Washington, and not nearly as calm as he, are Lieutenant James Madison holding the flag, Gen. Nathanael Greene leaning over the side, and Gen. Edward Hand grasping his hat. I couldn't find any information about the figure in white hugging the flag, but he reminds of the picture of Trump hugging the flag in 2016, so let's suppose that it is a prophetic image of the 45th and 47th president.
I gained new appreciation for this painting and the role of Washington and his steadfastness in the Revolution while researching this post. Take a moment and enjoy the visual qualities of this painting that may have lost its freshness because we have seen it too much.
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There were two copies of the painting made. One was sent to the US. The other was kept in Germany and (I believe) was destroyed during WWII. The artist used the River Rhine for the backdrop rather than the Delaware - another nod to the revolutions of 1848.
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From what I read, there were three copies. One was kept in Germany and destroyed in 1942 in an Allied bombing raid. The second was sold to an American, and it was eventually donated to the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art. A third, smaller copy of the painting was displayed in the White House, a Minneapolis museum, and other places. It sold for $45 million in 2022.
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Here's another painting by George Caleb Bingham also called Washington Crossing the Delaware. It looks so pedestrian compared to the one by Leutze. It makes you realize Leutze's genius.
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