Washington Crossing the Delaware

Washington crossed the Delaware River Christmas night and attacked the British garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, early on the morning of December 26, 1776.

Emanuel Leutze (1851)

 Leutze’s painting is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though there are many copies including one in the White House.

There are several inaccuracies in the depiction. Wrong flag; too much light (it was night); it would appear they are crossing in the wrong direction; horses were carried by ferries with the artillery, not in boats; probably everyone stood (the gunwales were higher than pictured).

That’s future president James Monroe holding the flag.

Click for larger version.

One thought on “Washington Crossing the Delaware”

  1. A couple more. Washington was 44 at the time of the crossing, not grey-haired. The river was depicted by the only model the artist had: the Rhine. Delaware gets flat ice, not cragged ice.

    Some of my family’s relics are on display at the Trenton Barracks (Toby jugs, and a wedding dress).

Comments are closed.