Paper Example on Unearthing the True Meaning of Historical Paintings

Introduction

The lack of photographic evidence impedes the study of early eras of history. However, there exists a huge resource of painted images that helps overcome this challenge. Artists in these eras depicted everyday lives, battles, myths, and people in their paintings. Though the paintings are a valuable reflection of life during these periods, they do not always represent reality. In light of this, historians strive to deconstruct the images to unearth their real meaning. Understanding the politics of the day, as well as the religious and political inclination of the artists, is a valuable tool in the deconstruction process. The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga October 1777 is arguably one of the most prominent paintings in American history. The event depicted in the painting was a turning point during the American Revolution, and it helped bring in French support. This paper seeks to deconstruct this painting and derive its real meaning.

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Description of the Painting

It is a 12 by 18 oil on canvas painting created in 1821 by John Trumbull. It was placed in the Rotunda U.S. Capitol in 1826. The painting shows General Burgoyne surrendering his sword to General Gates. Out of respect for him, General Gates refuses to take the sword. Instead, he directs General Burgoyne to the tent as a sign of hospitality.

The American flag is blowing at the top of the tent, and American officers are gathered at the sides to witness. The different uniforms show their different units. Burgoyne's army, together with German reinforcements, can be seen at the center and background of the painting. Colonel Lewis, who had directed the army to the camp, is seen on horseback in the distance. Generally, the painting is a depiction of peace and not hostility or combat. The blue sky and white clouds confirm this. Moreover, the weapons are sheathed, and the cannons are silent.

The Artist

As mentioned earlier, the painting was created by John Trumbull. He was born in 1756 and was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He was among the most notable artists in the early independence period and is, at times, referred to as the Painter of the Revolution due to his historical paintings depicting the Revolutionary War (Johnston 66). His family was significantly involved in politics and military, a factor that might have informed his involvement in the war. His father was the Governor of Connecticut between 1769 and 1784 (Klein). One of his elder brothers was an army general during the Revolutionary War while the other served as a speaker of the House. Trumbull served in various positions during the Revolutionary War. At some point, he was General George Washington's second personal aide. Trumbull also served as an aide to Horatio Gates, who is depicted in the Surrender of General Burgoyne. He left the army in 1777 and turned to art. His teacher, Benjamin West, suggested that he paints small pictures of the war. His involvement in the war was a great inspiration for his paintings. A childhood accident led to the loss of use of one of his eyes, a factor that is thought to have led to the detailed painting style seen in his works (Klein). An encounter with the works of John Singleton Copley also led to the growth of his interest in art.

Events that Influenced the Painting

The painting depicts a real event - the surrender of General Burgoyne. It also depicts various people who were involved in the event, such as Major General Horatio Gates, Colonel Lewis, Lieutenant General John Burgoyne, among others. The surrender of General John Burgoyne occurred on the 17th of October 1777 following the Second Battle of Saratoga. According to the Convention of Saratoga, General Burgoyne's men would return to Great Britain and would not be involved in the war in North America again. This development favored the colonists and made it easy to persuade the French to acknowledge American independence as well as offer military assistance. It also meant that the British would not divide New England from the other colonies. The event, therefore, was the main inspiration for the painting. Trumbull's role in the army greatly influenced his style of painting. It is argued that his paintings are conceptual maps. The artist invoked various structural elements of military cartography, as evidenced in his sketching of artillery, infantry, and engineering tactics. His style led to the creation of spaces that look like a battle plan. As such, his paintings can be interpreted not just as works meant to give the narrative of war but also as ideological tools aimed at shaping the early Republic (Gamble 15).

Targeted Audience

According to the artist, this painting, as well as his other works, were created to commemorate some of the great events in the country's Revolution. Trumbull also stated, in a letter written to Jefferson in 1789, that his paintings sought to show the great actors that contributed so much to the history of the country (Klein). All these attributes are seen in the Surrender of General Burgoyne. First, the painting commemorates an important event in American history. Second, the painting depicts various actors in the event, such as General Gates and the other soldiers who had gathered to witness the event. Looking at it from this perspective, the painting was created for future generations. It was created to be a conduit through which Americans would travel to the past and experience the struggles that ushered in independence and the freedom that they enjoy today.

Commissioning

After leaving the army, Trumbull traveled to Saratoga in 1791 to sketch the landscape of the site. Following his return from Britain in 1812, he promoted his idea to create the painting to Congress. Owing to the success of his earlier paintings, the Congress voted to commission the four paintings from Trumbull in 1817. The four would then be hung in the Capitol Rotunda. He completed the painting in 1821, displayed it in New York in 1822, and was hung in the Capitol Rotunda in 1824.

Perspective and Bias

The painting is Trumbull's memories of events and his interpretations of these events. Therefore, the painting is seen through his eyes. Considering his role during the Revolutionary War and his association with influential people of the period, such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington, it can be argued that his paintings were influenced by the social and political atmosphere prevalent at the time. Only a few people were literate when the painting was created. Images, therefore, were a potent way of passing information during this period. Therefore, the painting(s) might have been used to shape the memory and perception of the Revolution (Hefner 1).

Moreover, bias might have come in since the artist was reconstructing the events in the painting from memory. It has been argued that memory tends to imbue history with specific values and virtues (Hefner 7). This is the reason why American history, as well as all history, is full of legend and myths that distort the actual happenings. Therefore, the artist might have altered facts to imbue the past with a bigger moral value. For instance, Trumbull has been accused of romanticizing turbulent and disastrous events. As evidenced in Surrender of General Burgoyne, his paintings are free of chaos and bloodshed, even though they are representations of war. It can be argued that his bias was meant to create an American tradition and heritage (Hefner 8). He sought to champion civility and rationality over radicalism and bloodshed. However, this might not have been the state of things in the battlefields.

Viewers' Bias

While the artist might have been biased in creating the painting as he did, the viewers also approach historical paintings and other resources with bias. This bias is created over time from the knowledge that one acquires from different sources. For instance, Americans learn of the importance of the Revolutionary War from different sources as they grow up. This knowledge, most of which points to the bravery of the Americans, influences their view and study of history. An American, therefore, would approach the Surrender of General Burgoyne with the image of American victory and British surrender in mind. This shows how the knowledge that people already hold influence on how they view and understand history.

Conclusion

Paintings were an important way of preserving history before the advent of photography. This is captured best in the paintings of John Trumbull, such as the Surrender of General Burgoyne, which commemorates an important event during the Revolutionary War and celebrates the individuals involved. However, since the paintings were a reconstruction from the artist's memory, he might have imbued the past with certain values and virtues to achieve certain social and political goals. Moreover, as shown in the discussion, the artist was influenced by various social and political events in his time. Finally, the paper has shown that the knowledge possessed by the observer affects their interpretation of history.

Works Cited

Gamble, Lauren Jacks. "Art-Artillery: Mapping the Military Logic of John Trumbull's Revolutionary War Paintings." American Art 29.2 (2015): 10-18. <https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/683347>.

Hefner, Cody Nicholas. "An Evocation of the Revolution: The Paintings of John Trumbull and the Perception of the American Revolution." Miami University, 2009. <http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1259821977>.

Johnston, Elizabeth Bryant. "John Trumbull." Original Portraits of Washington, including Statues, Monuments, and Medals (1882): 66. <https://archive.org/stream/originalportrait00john#page/n131/mode/1up>.

Klein, Gil. "What's Wrong With This Picture?" 2011. history.org. 1 December 2019. <https://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter11/painting.cfm>.