Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851: this monumental canvas measuring 378 × 648 cm constitutes one of the most emblematic works of 19th-century American art.
Leutze depicts the heroic moment of December 25, 1776, when Washington launched his decisive attack against the Hessian troops at Trenton.
The composition masterfully organizes the scene around the central figure of the general, dominating his soldiers in the boat. The American flag, anachronistic but symbolic, holds an important place. The dramatic lighting, coming from the background, surrounds Washington with an almost divine halo and accentuates the patriotic epic. This work perfectly synthesizes the emerging American democratic ideal. Painted in Germany, it met with immediate success on both sides of the Atlantic, rapidly becoming a national icon disseminated through engraving.
To explore further
- Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
- 149 x 255 in. (378.5 x 647.7 cm)
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue, New York, on view in Gallery 760
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11417
An American painter of German origin, Emanuel Leutze (1816-1868) perfectly embodies the romantic history painting of the mid-19th century. Born in Schwäbisch Gmünd, he emigrated as a child to the United States with his family in 1825. Trained in Düsseldorf under Karl Friedrich Lessing, he developed a monumental narrative style influenced by the German School. Established in Europe from 1841 to 1859, he painted his most famous works in his Düsseldorf studio, notably “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” His art combines rigorous academic technique with democratic idealism, serving American patriotic edification. Upon returning to the United States, he decorated the Capitol in Washington and lastingly influenced American history painting. Leutze remains the creator of the founding heroic iconography of the American nation, transforming historical event into national myth.
