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Lot Essay
An early copy of Emanuel Leutze's iconic masterpiece, this rendition of Washington Crossing the Delaware is a particularly vivid representation that powerfully conveys the drama of the original. With his 1850-1851 works, Leutze created the single-most recognizable image of America's struggle for independence: a depiction of the fateful morning on December 26, 1776 when Washington led his troops across the Delaware River to the surprise victory at the Battle of Trenton. The moment depicted is full of anticipation. Ill equipped and fighting the elements, the American forces were facing a formidable enemy. "These are the times that try men's souls," Thomas Paine had written just days before in the opening lines of The American Crisis. Upon hearing of the surrender of the Hessian soldiers and a long-awaited American triumph, Washington declared, "this is a glorious day for our country." There were still many struggles ahead, but the scene chosen by Leutze and depicted here shows Washington and his army on the brink of a crucial and pivotal victory.
Here, the artist has closely followed Leutze's large-scale 1851 version now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a smaller version painted around the same time now in a private collection, and the 1853 engraving by Paul Giradet (Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 97.34; Christie's, 12 May 2022, lot 30C). It varies from the others in several small details, suggesting that its creator either replicated another printed version of the work or added and altered details to his own liking. Like the smaller Leutze painting, this work lacks the fob hanging from Washington's waist. It also features the figure of James Monroe, seen carrying the flag behind Washington, in a Continental army uniform with buff-colored collar and cuffs, which varies from the red-colored accents seen in the original works and 1853 print.
In 1999, the present lot was chosen to represent the large-scale version in George Washington, American Symbol, a traveling exhibition commemorating the bicentennial of Washington's death. An homage to Washington and Leutze in the nineteenth century, this work continues to convey the momentous impact of events almost two hundred a fifty years later.
Here, the artist has closely followed Leutze's large-scale 1851 version now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a smaller version painted around the same time now in a private collection, and the 1853 engraving by Paul Giradet (Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 97.34; Christie's, 12 May 2022, lot 30C). It varies from the others in several small details, suggesting that its creator either replicated another printed version of the work or added and altered details to his own liking. Like the smaller Leutze painting, this work lacks the fob hanging from Washington's waist. It also features the figure of James Monroe, seen carrying the flag behind Washington, in a Continental army uniform with buff-colored collar and cuffs, which varies from the red-colored accents seen in the original works and 1853 print.
In 1999, the present lot was chosen to represent the large-scale version in George Washington, American Symbol, a traveling exhibition commemorating the bicentennial of Washington's death. An homage to Washington and Leutze in the nineteenth century, this work continues to convey the momentous impact of events almost two hundred a fifty years later.