Washington Crossing the Delaware.by Emanuel Leutze – 1851, oil on canvas, 149 x 255 in
One of the most recognizable images in the history of American art. The subject is from one of the turning points in the American Revolutionary War. It commemorates General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on the night of 25-26 December 1776.
The Colonial cause appeared exceptionally bleak as the year
1776 came to a close. In a military move that navigated the fine line between
brilliance and desperation, George Washington led the Colonial army across the
Delaware River shortly after nightfall on 25 December in order to attack the
Hessian encampment outside Trenton, New Jersey. Washington and his army
achieved an unprecedented tactical surprise and delivered a much-needed
military and moral victory.
