1. John Trumbull was an American painter and military officer best known for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran.
19 Facts About John Trumbull
1. 2.
John Trumbull has been called the "Painter of the Revolution".
3.
John Trumbull's father served as governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1784.
4.
John Trumbull had two older brothers, Joseph Trumbull, the first commissary general of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and Jonathan Trumbull Jr.
5.
John Trumbull entered the 1771 junior class at Harvard College at age 15 and graduated in 1773.
6.
John Trumbull resigned from the army in 1777; the cause was reported to be a dispute over the dating of his commission, which would have blocked him from further promotion.
7.
In 1780, a financially struggling John Trumbull decided to work as a professional artist and sailed to London, where he was introduced to Benjamin Franklin.
8.
At West's suggestion, John Trumbull painted small pictures of the American Revolutionary War and miniature portraits.
9.
John Trumbull painted about 250 such portraits in his lifetime.
10.
John Trumbull painted the portrait of Washington from memory during this time.
11.
John Trumbull was imprisoned for seven months at Tothill Fields Bridewell in London.
12.
In 1784, following Britain's recognition of United States' sovereignty and independence, John Trumbull returned to London to complete his apprenticeship with West.
13.
John Trumbull's painting of Jefferson, commissioned by Cosway, became widely known and was later engraved by Asher Brown Durand.
14.
John Trumbull's portraits include full lengths of General Washington and George Clinton, now held in New York City Hall.
15.
John Trumbull was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1791 and elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1792.
16.
John Trumbull himself was painted by Gilbert Stuart and many others.
17.
John Trumbull later encountered hard times during which he was failing to sell his paintings individually.
18.
John Trumbull was appointed president of the American Academy of the Fine Arts in New York City, serving from 1816 to 1836.
19.
John Trumbull died in New York City at the age of 87 on November 10,1843.