Sujeeth Narra November 23, 2001

Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, a German immigrant, painted “George Washington

Crossing the Delaware” in 1851. Its purpose was to inspire the German

liberals whose own revolution had failed in 1848 by showing the strength and

perseverance of General George Washington. Rather, it was interpreted as an

expression of American patriotism. While Leutze was working on the

painting in late 1850 when a studio fire broke out and damaged the large

painting (it is 12 feet high and 21 feet long). Leutze began work on a second

copy, which he ended up completing before the original. This painting was

hung in the Kunsthalle Museum in Bremen until destroyed by Allied bombs

in 1942. Leutze completed the original painting of Washington’s crossing

(the one damaged in the fire) in 1851. This second version is the widely

circulated painting seen today. Leutze picked up his style at the art academy

in Düsseldorf, Germany, along with many other Americans who passed

through there.

1. The hero in this painting is commanding a group of small boats crossing a

river filled with ice floes on a dreary day. Around the hero, in his boat, is a

group of people pushing aside floes of ice to create a path for the boat, as

is the same for the other boats that can be seen. The hero seems to be calm

and thoughtful as he looks ahead with intense concentration and fervent

 planning, emanating the feeling that this is a planned excursion, executed

for a purpose.

2. This painting can be used to depict human emotions. From this painting,

anticipation, strength, concentration, thought, and optimism can be

garnered from the expression and stance of the hero. The light around the

hero and his elevation also subject to a focal point, a point of importance,

upon the hero, emanating his importance to this task or his leadership role.

The mood picked up from the surrounding people is one of calm

acceptance. Specific emotions, such as fear and anxiety, are eliminated to

keep the mood transmitted through this painting light and positive.

3. The artist captures the hero’s strength, concentration, and forward vision,

along with his optimism. These three qualities are used to show the hero’s

importance and power relative to the other characters in the painting.

These three qualities also emanate resistance and persistence to the viewer.

4. Leutze has treated the hero this way to show his importance and strength

of character. This is done by using the lighting scheme, a bright spot

around the hero in an otherwise dreary setting, elevation, the hero is higher

up than anybody else, and stance, the hero’s being powerful and self-

assertive.