George Washington Crosses the Delaware was painted in 1851 by an American painter named Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. This painting currently hangs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art located in New York City. “Biography.com” stated that George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. He later became the first President of the United States, but before that time he was both a General and Commander-in-chief during the American Revolution. According to the Mount Vernon Organization, George Washington was crossing the Delaware River in order to attack Hessian troops that were in New Jersey in this painting.  By looking at the color palette, the subjects of the painting, and the lines in the work, we can see the importance of George Washington and the significance of his battle for America. 

A bright light shines through the dark clouds and rough seas, as George Washington sails through the Delaware river. The colors in this image highlight people as well as objects. There is a spot in the sky, towards the left side of the painting, that is brighter than almost anything else in the painting. It adds emphasis to the boat that George Washington is on, rather than the boat in the background. The lighting gives the viewer the idea that George Washington’s boat is more important than the one in the background and the others in front near the horizon. Another important color within this painting is the color red. It can be seen on various men on the boat, George Washington himself, and the American flag. The color red in this painting means passion, strength, and warning. The passion and the strength come from the men on the boat, who are on their way to attack a group of Hessian Troops that were in Trenton, New Jersey. That is also what the warning represents, because they are sending a message to those troops that they are on their way to attack. Blue is also an important color in this painting, and can be seen in the sky and the water, but most importantly on the men on the boat as well as the American flag. The color blue represents calmness, loyalty, and confidence. In order for those men to go into what could end up in a battle, they must remain calm for themselves, loyal to their fellow soldier, and confident in the outcome. The same applies to the American flag. Having both blue and red on the flag creates a feeling of both strength and confidence, which this country needs whether it be in 1851 when this painting was painted or in the present 2016. 

Although there are quite a few people found in this painting, one person sticks out the most. Even if you had no idea who George Washington was, just by looking at this painting you could guess that he was a man of importance. His stance in the painting is a definite power stance. He is not rowing the boat like the other men in the painting but, he is standing with one leg on the edge of the boat and a gaze that is only looking forward. Through this painting one can tell he is a leader who will take this boat to its destination and fight for power. 

Lines seem like such a simple concept, but they can add such depth and meaning to a painting. The most eye-catching line in this picture is the American flag. It stands the highest out of any other person or object in this painting, making your eyes go straight to it. This is significant due to the historical background of this painting. As stated earlier, George Washington is leading his army to fight off Hessian troops in New Jersey. This convoy is for the safety of America and everything that America represents, which is all represented under the flag. Another set of lines that can easily be are the lines of sight. Everyone in this painting appears to be very focused on their job. Their lines of sight are based of the job they are doing and where they are going. George Washington’s line of sight is directly forward into a place that is unknown to the viewer of the painting. There are other men on the boat that are standing up near Washington, and have the same gaze as him. Their job is unknown, but due to their positioning and height they appear to be important. The men holding the oars all have their gaze down, rowing towards the final destination. The last concept of lines found in this painting is the horizon. The horizon is important not just because it breaks up the sky and the river, but because of what you see if you look closely. At a first glance it looks as though there are only two boats in the painting, but if you look at the horizon there are more. There is another boat behind the boat on the far right, as well as multiple boats on the horizon in the far left. This is important because it puts this painting on a larger scale. What is meant by that is originally you see two boats, and once you look closer and see more it leads you to believe that this convoy is much bigger then just the boats within the image. George Washington is leading a much bigger convoy then what can be met at first glance. 

In conclusions, “George Washington Crosses the Delaware” can be connected to it’s historical context not just through the name of the painting. This can be seen through the color, which both highlights people in the painting, but also gives meaning to the American flag and clothes worn. George Washington shows great importance by being the highest person standing up as well as the seriousness this painting portrays. Lastly, lines show a great deal of importance in this painting. They showed that there were a lot more people in this convoy than can be seen at first glance as well as the American flag.
