John Trumbull 1833

This print of John Trumbull was made by Asher Brown Durand, probably around 1832. It speaks to the importance of portraiture in the construction of national identity in the early American Republic. Durand's print flattens the image and gives it a graphic quality. Note the inclusion of Trumbull’s signature, which gives the image a sense of authenticity. The print was made for the Trumbull Gallery at Yale College, founded in 1832. Its explicit purpose was to preserve and exhibit Trumbull's paintings of the American Revolution, reinforcing a particular narrative of national origin. As historians, we need to ask: what work is this image doing? How does it shape the public's understanding of Trumbull, the American Revolution, and national identity? Archival research into the Trumbull Gallery and the social context of its founding is a first step toward answering these questions.