Declaration of Independence
About this painting
John Trumbull, Declaration of Independence. Commissioned 1817; purchased 1819; placed 1826. Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C.
- Date created
- 1817–1826
- License
- This work is believed to be in the public domain. Users are advised to make their own copyright assessment and to understand their rights to fair use.
- Source
- Original image housed by U.S. Capitol Complex
Related media
Learn more
- Search LEARN NC for American Revolution, art, Benjamin Franklin, colonial, Declaration of Independence, history, John Adams, John Hancock, paintings, and Thomas Jefferson.
In the classroom
- See our collection of articles on visual literacy for ideas on using photographs meaningfully in the classroom.
John Trumbull’s painting, Declaration of Independence, commissioned in 1817, depicts the presentation of the Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, in 1776. The “Committee of Five” presenting the Declaration in the center of the painting consists of Thomas Jefferson (the document’s primary author), Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. The five stand before John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress. 47 of the 56 signers of the Declaration appear in the painting, along with five men who did not sign. Trumbull sketched the men and the room from life. A facsimile of this painting appears on the back of the $2 bill.
