The Battle of Trenton

This weekend, I went to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art on Main Street in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. I went there because I knew they had wonderful collections of art exhibits but what I did not realize was that the building itself was absolutely astounding. It was built in 1842. The building is three stories high, made out of white brick with a gothic appearance complete with rooks on the roof to give it the appearance of a castle, very wide stairs to get into the building, huge wood doors and a court yard in the middle of the building.

As I walked past the aides in the foyer, through the glass doors, there right in front of me was a step back in time. There were so many paintings to see and so many artifacts to look at. As I was walking from one time zone into another. There were Baroque paintings, Renaissance, Meissen porcelain, Mediterranean antiquities, 17th century American furniture, decorative arts, costumes and textiles, African-American art and artifacts, and so much more. They also have special exhibitions. I would have like to have seen that exhibit but I was so preoccupied with everything around me that I did not have time.

At one point I came across a painting that I could not take my eyes off of for one moment. I surprised myself because of all the paintings why this one? That painting was the "Battle of Trenton December 26, 1776" by John Trumbull.

The painter John Trumbull was actually born in Lebanon, Connecticut to Jonathan Trumbull, who was Governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1784. John Trumbull was also a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, and was appointed second aid to General George Washington, and in June 1776 deputy adjutant-general to General Horatio Gates, but resigned from the army in 1777. In 1780 he traveled to London where he studied under Benjamin West, who suggested to him that he paint small pictures of the War of Independence and miniature portraits, of which he produced about 250 in his lifetime

John Trumbull is best known as the “Painter of the American Revolution.” While in London in 1784, Trumbull conceived the ambition of painting scenes of the American Revolution; in London he also met Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, with whom he discussed his plan to paint historical subjects. Trumbull’s paintings of “The Battle of Bunkers Hill,” “The Declaration of Independence,” “The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis,” “The Battle of Trenton,” and “The Battle of Princeton” were completed at Benjamin West’s London studio in 1786-87.

I am not sure why this painting caught my eye maybe it was the date in the picture because of it being the day after Christmas. George Washington was in the center of the painting big as life on his horse and there were officers on horses and standing on the ground around George. They were capturing Colonel Johann Rall a Hessian commander. As I stared at the picture I started having a barrage of thoughts on the Iraqi war and I thought about how back than many people died in the revolutionary war for their rights and independence of the U.S. and how today’s war is far from a noble act as thousands of innocent lives in this war are dying for oil, greed, power, and for many things they do not believe in and shouldn’t be sacrificing their lives for.

The Battle of Trenton was on Christmas night when 2,500 troops, crossed the Delaware at McKonkey's Ferry, eight miles above Trenton. Delayed by floating ice and a storm of sleet and snow, they reached the village at 8:00 A.M., in broad daylight. The Hessians, who had spent Christmas night celebrating, were completely surprised. Their commandant, Colonel Johann Rall, who had ignored warnings of the attack, seemed confused. The Americans fired from houses and cellars and from behind trees and fences, while their artillery raked the two main streets of the town. In the battle, lasting scarcely forty minutes, thirty Hessians were killed (including Rall), and one thousand were taken prisoner, while the Americans had only two officers and two privates wounded. Two supporting divisions failed to cross the river until the following day; meanwhile, the Hessians at Bordentown safely withdrew.

Coming so swiftly after a succession of bitter defeats, this victory infused new life into the revolutionary cause, restored confidence in Washington both at home and abroad, strengthened the resolution of Congress, and, coupled with the victory at Princeton a few days later, practically freed New Jersey of British control.

The painting that really made an impression on me and I do not believe I will ever forget is the "Battle of Trenton December 26, 1776" by John Trumbull.

There were many other pieces of Art that i really enjoyed especially the picture of Louis VXI saying farwell to his family. This picture was a depiction of Louis last visit with his family before he was to be executed. This painting got my attention because as soon as I looked at it, I felt saddened, it was almost as if I could feel their pain. The painter did a great job in capturing the emotion of Louis family. The colors were so vivid that the picture almost seemed real as if it was going to come to life.