




In 1851, German American artist, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze created a painting using oil on a canvas to acknowledge General George Washington’s triumphant crossing of the Delaware River on the night of December 25th, 1776. The incentive for this painting is often overlooked. Leutze was a passionate supporter of unprejudiced democracy, consequently he created the painting in hopes of inspiring German Reformers. After further researching this painting, it is evident that the painting is not a perfect representation of the event, rather it is comprised of symbols, and together they produce a forceful and dramatic piece.

 On June 14, 1775, George Washington was determined qualified to be commander of the Continental Army because of his strong leadership characteristics and pride towards the American military. Before this position, Washington had not held any high appointed posts and had not had any previous experience in possessing authority over an army in the field. However, when the General led his troops through the Delaware River and then was victorious in the Battle of Trenton, New Jersey against the Hessian army, he proved his worth. The Hessian army was comprised of a group of German soldiers that were bought and paid for by the British to help attack Americans during the American Revolution (@MountVernon. "Ten Facts About George Washington and the Revolutionary War.")

The painting depicting George Washington crossing the Delaware River in its entirety symbolizes success, accomplishment and pride. Nevertheless, the components that make up the artwork are what provokes those emotions. The painting is filled with light from the sun breaking through the clouds and General George Washington, standing on the boat, is precisely in the middle of it. The use of this light is to glorify the defeat of the Hessian’s that the Continental army is on the brink of experiencing. As George Washington stands tall in the center of the painting, he encapsulates the idea of a true hero. He is dressed in his continental army uniform, along with his sword in his hand, expressing his intent to battle. In contrast to the other figures in the image, General Washington is the lone figure with one foot propped up, which means he is not moving. The other troops are furiously rowing through rough waters, while Washington stands still, his gaze fixed on the New Jersey shoreline, representing his preparedness for battle. 

The flag in the painting is drawn larger than any of the men. The flag joins the states and the men together in order to form a unified nation, that drives the boat forward through the prominent obstacles. The idea of the flag has been explored to great extent in innumerable numbers of artistic pieces including artwork, literature and other visual and literary arts. The flag is the greatest symbol in American, representing freedom that the troops are willing to risk their lives for. In numerous great historical pieces of art the flag stands tall with pride and captures the attention of the audience. 

There are evident obstacles presented in the image to demonstrate the difficulties the men endured in order to reach Trenton. Small glaciers are apparent in the rapids to embody the frigid temperatures the troops had to face. On the actual day of the phenomenon, the weather was much worse than it is depicted in the painting (@MountVernon. "10 Facts about Washington's Crossing of the Delaware River"). Leutze weakens the severity of the storm in order to enhance the light, illustrating the honor of General George Washington. The boat is yet another symbol proving American pride and worth. Clearly, the boat is inadequate in size for the number of soldiers willing to fight. The men are pressed together, nearly tumbling overboard. Despite this obstacle, they persist in rowing and working together, maneuvering around ice blocks in order to reach their goal, Trenton (Leutze, Emanuel).

The summer of 1776 was a series of losses and treacherous defeats for American troops. According to The Trenton Historical Society, General Washington, being a new, unexperienced commander had lost 4,430 troops alongside 329 officers while trying to protect the Hudson. He was left with an army of 4,000 pessimistic, saddened troops with little, to no, ambition. In addition to the high number of deaths, the unsettled battles of Harlem Heights and White Plains, the loss of Fort Washington and Lee, left the troops with even less desire to continue their combat (History.com).

The Battle of Trenton was a significant turning point in the war for America. Leading up to the battle, American troops had experienced substantial losses and had relatively low hope and morale in themselves. According to an Officer of Distinction at Newtown, Bucks County from the Contemporaneous Account of the Battle of Trenton, referring to the victory of the Battle of Trenton he says, "the success of this day will greatly animate our friends, and add fresh courage to our new army, which, when formed, will be sufficient to secure us from the depredations or insults of our enemy” (Bickham, G). The Continental army needed the victory from this battle to drive and motivate them to eventually win the war in its entirety. At their ultimate lowest point, General George Washington was able to extract a win for his men and his country through his heroic leadership qualities. 

“Washington Crossing the Delaware” is one of the most influential pieces of the nineteenth century, indicating American resilience. The power and influence it had on the American people at the time of the revolution left a resounding impression to support them at a time where nearly all aspiration was lost. At a point where it deemed impossible to recover, the image depicts the glorification of Washington by exaggerating different features in the painting. Even though the painting was created in Düsseldorf, Germany by the great artist, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, “Washington Crossing the Delaware” will eternally be recognized as one of the greatest war paintings of all time, capturing a turning point for the Washington and his Continental army in their fight to gain our freedom and independence. 








