Masterpiece Story: Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze

Throughout history, artists have documented grand historical events motivated by national pride, political propaganda, or as a lesson for contemporary politicians. Emanuel Leutze‘s Washington Crossing the Delaware is a perfect example of history painting. It depicts an important event in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 21st-century world of 24/7 news channels and fake news, let us pause. Let’s take a look at a 19th-century painting of an 18th-century historical event. Apart from being an epic oil painting, there is more to Leutze’s representation than meets the eye. Did George Washington’s historic crossing of Delaware come close to what we see on Leutze’s large canvas?

The Event

December 25, 1776. It is late on Christmas night. General George Washington, along with a few thousand American Colonial troops, is braving the crossing of the frozen Delaware River. They go into Trenton, NJ from Pennsylvania at three different sections of the river.

The plan? To surprise attack a group of Hessian soldiers having a holiday celebration in their camp. The purpose? Hopefully, to raise the morale of the American colonists by completing a successful attack on the camp and its inhabitants.

In the early hours of the morning, Washington and most of his men made it across the river and attacked. On the other side, in the camp, roughly 1,400 Hessian soldiers were recovering from a rowdy night of holiday celebrations.

The group of colonists, led by Washington himself, outnumbered the Hessian army and successfully surprised them. The attack sent most of the Hessian soldiers scattering from the camp. Most were captured. One would think there had been a victory. However, Washington and his remaining men then retreated. The reason for this was that there was a lack of artillery. In addition, the other two-thirds of their regiments had not arrived and as a result, the colonists lacked sufficient backup. The icy weather halted them in their efforts to cross the Delaware River.

The Artist

Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, born in 1816 in Southern Germany, moved to America as a teenager. It was there that he learned to paint. His early artistic endeavors led to an invitation to paint in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. In addition at this time, he actively made art in his “hometown” of Philadelphia as well as in DC.

In his mid-20s, Leutze made the journey back to Germany to study at the Düsseldorf Art Academy. Throughout the 1850s he excelled there. But in 1860, he returned to the United States. Here he produced many portraits and paintings of historical figures. This continued until his untimely death in 1868. In particular, Leutze focused on creating large history paintings, as is evidenced by the mural below. It is located in the US Capitol Building and measures 20 x 30 feet.

Historical Accuracy: Is It Fake News?

Historically speaking, the Delaware River extended only 300 yards at the point where the troops crossed into Trenton. However, the grand scale of the painting, combined with the dramatic portrayal of the historical event, would lead one to believe that this was a much wider distance. As a comparison, 300 yards is roughly the size of 3 American football fields. In contrast, George Inness depicts a less icy version of the river along the Pennsylvania border.

At roughly 149 x 255 in. (378.5 cm × 647.7 cm), Leutze’s impressive painting hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. And what one notices is perhaps the center of the painting. Here, George Washington stands tall and strong amidst a row of boats and soldiers. He conveys the notion that everyone is prepared to stand up for the freedom of the American colonists.

Soldiers row through the thick ice which is covering the river. Their faces are filled with determination. The formation of the army goes far back into the distance, adding much depth to the painting.

While aspects of this painting may ring true to the historical facts, some elements have been changed as a result of the artist’s creativity. The flag held by the soldiers was in fact designed a year after the depicted event. According to the historians, Washington used larger boats than the one presented by Leutze. They had to fit artillery and horses. There is no space for these in Leutze’s painting. Of course, a smaller boat helps to create a grand atmosphere of the work.

As we learn from historical records, the winter storm was terrible. This is why we see ice on the water. Leutze has suggested the real conditions as possible while still maintaining the overall clarity of his painting.