Existing comment:
George Washington, 1732-1799 (Charles Wilson Peale portrait):
George Washington after the Battle of Princeton:
Appointed commander of the American troops in 1775, George Washington faced the daunting task of simultaneously organizing an army and fighting the British. At first, Washington ceded ground, retreating southward from Boston through New York and New Jersey until he reached Pennsylvania. With morale at a low ebb, Washington changed the tide of the war by turning back to defeat the British at the battles of Trenton and Princeton in 1776-77. He had laid the platform for an American military victory and colonial independence.
Artist Charles Willson Peale fought at both battles. This painting, commissioned by Pennsylvania's Supreme Executive Council, shows Washington triumphant amid the trophies of victory. Peale created several replicas as Washington became a subject of international hero worship. This painting, the first of Washington to enter a European collection, was acquired about 1782 by a Spanish nobleman. It remained in Spain until about 1918, when it was sold to an American dealer.
Charles Willson Peale, 1779 |