The Sower · The Ciceronian Society

EPISODE 33 - Richard Brookhiser, John Trumbull, and Painting the American Revolution

March 9, 2025·51 min·4 clips

Richard Brookhiser reveals how Trumbull's painting of Bunker Hill captures the brutal reality of revolution through defeat.

Richard Brookhiser, a historian and senior editor at National Review, joins host Josh Bowman to discuss his book on painter John Trumbull. This episode explores how Trumbull's art visually narrates the American Revolution's ideals and struggles. Trumbull, son of Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull Sr., served in the Continental Army and later studied painting in London under Benjamin West. His series of eight revolutionary paintings includes "The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill" and "The Declaration of Independence." He was briefly arrested in London as a suspected spy during the war and later lived with Thomas Jefferson in Paris. Jefferson suggested the Declaration painting, where he is prominently featured in a red waistcoat. A key insight is that Trumbull began his series with a defeat at Bunker Hill to show the revolution's difficulty. Abigail Adams reportedly said her "blood contracted" upon seeing that painting. The "Declaration" scene emphasizes civilian, peer deliberation, contrasting with the dramatic "Oath of the Tennis Court" by Jacques-Louis David. Trumbull's "Washington Resigning His Commission" visually argues against military dictatorship by showing Washington handing power back to Congress. The painter included figures like James Madison in scenes where they were not physically present to convey broader historical points. His work fell out of fashion as nature painting, led by Thomas Cole, and later photography gained prominence. Author William Thackeray once called Trumbull "America's painter," a designation Brookhiser notes would not be given today. The conversation suggests other overlooked sources for understanding history, such as music like "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" or literature like Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle." The tone is conversational and educational, blending historical biography with art analysis. Listeners interested in early American history, art history, or the founding era's cultural dimensions will find this engaging. Those seeking a purely political or military analysis of the revolution might find the artistic focus less compelling.

As heard by us

A Revolutionary painting becomes a careful argument about the founding.

Richard Brookhiser treats Trumbull's Revolutionary painting as more than an image. He reads it as a statement about the founders' hopes for the country they wanted to build.

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Why you'd press play

You want the founding read through one painting.

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