Talk:Trumbull's Declaration of Independence

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[edit] Jefferson's foot

Actually, the cited website for this fact is wrong. Examination of the painting in person reveals that Jefferson's foot is not stepping on Adam's foot. The Two dollar bill correctly presents the painting, which began as a miniature in which the feet are clearly presented apart. The whole issue occurs because of the dark colors used for the carpet/ground and the color of the gentlemens' shoes. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 21:34, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

Went and grabbed some photos of the painting in person, with use of flash to fully illuminate the area of the painting in question. Below is a larger image of the general area, of Jefferson and Adams, and then a close detail of the gentlemen's feet. If you note, while Adam's foot is extremely close to Jefferson's, it is not being stepped upon.~ (The Rebel At) ~ 02:18, 24 June 2007 (UTC)

Good point. I will admit that it is possible that this is a myth. I wish there was another possible source to look at. Thanks for the pictures. Do you not feel it is interesting that the foot is so out-of-place in comparision to Jefferson's body? Alex 18:45, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

I don't think Jefferson's foot is out of place, if you look at the full body image, you'll see that his hip is pretty much directly above in about the proper spot for where the foot is placed. Likewise, as for really odd foot settings in the painting, look at the pair of feet belonging to, I believe, Mason, behind Adams and Jefferson. His feet are right next to each other, like his legs are squeezed side by side. Now there's some odd feet. However, there is another source to look at, the back of the $2 dollar bill, which is based off of Trumbull's work. Its use of monochrome colors clearly shows the artistic intent to keep the feet separate, as seen in the pictures I posted, as well. If you live near Yale, you can also go to their Art Gallery, and try and see the original. Regretfully, for my bank account, I've actually ordered the most recent biographer of John Trumbull by a Yale historian, to see what it has to say on the matter. Oi! ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 21:55, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

Ahh very good. I would be interested to see if the biography offered some other unknowns regarding this painting. Thanksf or the work! Alex 04:46, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

Just an update, I received the book on John Trumbull, and it turned out to be less a biography, than a nearly 300 page book covering the overwhelming breadth of his life's artistic works. I read the section on the Declaration of Independence and no mention was made of any attempt to portray the political animosity that existed off and on between Adams and Jefferson. The point was made that Trumbull was intent on replicating the moment artistically, if not factually (i.e., the room is not correct, the chairs are different, there are individuals excluded who did not sign the Declaration, and what not). The one thing that can be said is that Jefferson and Adams were not political enemies at the time of the Declaration, and thus, Trumbull would not have imposed such a thing on a scene where it did not exist. The man apparently traveled hundreds of miles to sit and paint Signers in person for the portrait, which speaks of great dedication.

Another aspect, is that, the history behind the painting is quite interesting! It turns out there are three versions of the Declaration, for example. I'll probably add a lot more content to this article using this source as a reference. For the curious, its John Trumbull by Helen Cooper. Published by Yale University, Art Gallery. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 21:33, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

I changed the text of the article to state that it only appears that Jefferson is standing on Adams's foot. I think the painting itself, both the original and the reproduction on the reverse of the $2 bill, is source enough for that? Would seem a similar argument is made for the description of a film's plot having the film itself as a source. After all, you can just look at the painting and see that TJ isn't stepping on JA's foot, if you look closely enough (see above for a zoom in based on a photo of the original painting.) Anyone disagree? 75.70.123.215 (talk) 01:55, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Second version

Perhaps you should mention that the painting in the Rotunda is actually the second version of the painting. The original is hung at Yale. And the original is of much better quality, I believe.

I do believe you're correct, and I think its a much smaller version, at that. Its something to look into. ~ (The Rebel At) ~ 22:07, 28 June 2007 (UTC)