German-born artist Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, who was born 40 years after the battle, painted “Washington Crossing the Delaware” in Düsseldorf.
Leutze grew up in America but returned to Germany as an adult. He hoped the painting, and therefore the American Revolution, would inspire liberal reformers during the European Revolutions of 1848, according to the University of Purdue.
Due to the time that had elapsed after the titular event, the painting contains a few historical inaccuracies, Parrish says.
For instance, Perdue officials state that the flag depicted was not created until about a year after the battle, and the soldiers used a different type of boat to cross the river. Additionally, Washington appears to be much older than he was during the battle — the general was 44 at the time — and he wouldn’t have been standing lest the boat capsize, according to Perdue officials.
However, some of the painting’s details, such as the soldiers’ uniforms, are historically accurate. And the composition of the painting as well as some of its details, including the fact that the rowers shown represent a cross-section of the American colonies, invoke a deep sense of national pride.
For more information: Perdue University