Washington Resigns
A Painting by John Trumbulll
Critique of the Painting:
The purpose of this painting was to glorify Washington's decision when he resigned as Commander in Chief for the army. Trumbull was so impacted in the moral duties Washington showed to the state that he was moved to create this painting
As for the painting itself there is a crowd of serious looking males surrounding George Washington, who stands in the middle of the painting. They are in the old senate house in Annapolis, Maryland. He is also being softly illuminated by light which appears to be coming from above. The painting was part of a series commissioned by congress possibly to re-instill nationalism.
Identity of the Author
John Trumbull was an American painter during the revolutionary war and a bit onward. Hes created many nationalistic works, including the Declaration of Independence which made it on the back of the two dollar bill. He comes from a puritan background in Connecticut, and was aristocratic. His father served as the governor and went to graduate from Harvard. Earlier in his childhood he had an accident where he lost his eye which could have affected his paintings