Washington at the Deleware 1834

Edward Hicks made this painting, Washington at the Delaware, in America, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It’s an attempt to take on the mantle of history painting, but to make it accessible to a popular audience. Notice how Washington looms large, bathed in light, as he leads his troops across the Delaware River. The crossing of the Delaware became an iconic event in American history. It's an image of leadership and resolve in the face of adversity. Hicks was part of the Quaker tradition in America, where plainness and simplicity were valued. He would not have had academic training but he would have been familiar with the political and social upheavals that shaped the young nation. To understand Hicks' work, we can look at the social and religious contexts, but also the rise of American nationalism and its influence on artistic expression. Art historians can look at how these paintings, and the institutions around them, participated in the construction of American identity.