George Washington in Action and Resignation Essay

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Works of Art Depicting George Washington in Glory and in Resignation.

Many paintings have been made of many different leaders over the years. Particularly, the paintings of the early presidents, such as George Washington, show significant events not only in the professional lives of these statesmen, but also in the lives of those under their leadership. Two paintings of particularly poignant times in the George Washington rulership include "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze and "General George Washington Resigning His Commission to Congress as Commander of the Army at Annapolis" by John Trumbull. The first shows a glorious victory for Washington, while the other depicts the end of his rule and the beginning of a new era for the United States. In addition, there are particular visual elements that provide meaning not only to the paintings, but also when they are compared and contrasted. This can be seen in terms of environment, color, figures, and symbolism.

The most obvious contrast between the paintings is the environment. In Leutze's painting, for example, the environment is outdoors. A rather small boat carries the men across stormy waters. In Trumbull's painting, the action takes place in a large room. These environments connect with the subject matter the paintings depict.

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In Leutze's work, the outdoors environment suggests a sense of heroism and action, whereas the indoors environment of the other painting suggests order and ceremony.

The colors in both paintings are somewhat similar. Both paintings include somber colors, with men in uniform performing a duty in service of their country. Even though these duties are vastly different between the paintings, the similarity is parallel to the status of the characters depicted. They are leaders carrying out the duties of leadership. Both paintings also depict important turning points in the growth of the United States.

In Leutze's work, for example, Washington leads Continental soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Britain's army at Trenton, New Jersey. The success of the attack brought a step in the right direction for the former colonies as they sought their freedom (NEH, 2015).

When it comes to Trumbull's work, the painting depicts the resignation of George Washington. The scene is set in the Maryland State House in Annapolis. This resignation also meant a step forward for the United States, since it promoted a fundamental principle of democracy in the country. As a result of the resignation, civilian authority….....

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