John Trumbull – Artulú

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL & THOMAS JEFFERSON

American History, Nothing But TrumbullJune 8, 202636Views 0Likes 0Comments

JOHN TRUMBULL. Thomas Jefferson 1788. Paris, France. Miniature. John Trumbull and Thomas Jefferson had a long association beginning with Jefferson's time in France. Trumbull and Jefferson met in London and continued their association in Paris in the late 1780s. Jefferson invited Trumbull to stay with him in Paris, and they struck up a nice…

JOHN TRUMBULL, ALEXANDER HAMILTON & AARON BURR

American History, Nothing But TrumbullJune 4, 202628Views 0Likes 0Comments

Trumbull reconnected with his old acquaintances of the Revolutionary War and painted many of their likenesses. One time, Trumbull attended a banquet given in New York on July 4, 1804, for the members of the Society of Cincinnati, which is an organization of Revolutionary War Officers. It was there that Trumbull witnessed an important American…

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL IN SUMMATION

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, Sarah Hope Harvey TrumbullJune 3, 202638Views 0Likes 0Comments

Trumbull’s early life as the governor’s son, Harvard graduate, and American Revolutionary War hero set him apart as someone worthy of distinction and respect. His most cherished goal was to be recognized as America’s history painter, not just in his time but for generations to come. This would ensure that the sacrifices and triumphs of…

SARAH HOPE HARVEY TRUMBULL- PRIVATE PORTRAITURE IN A PUBLIC WORLD

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, Sarah Hope Harvey TrumbullJune 3, 202637Views 0Likes 0Comments

Portraits made in the past are open to interpretation in the future. Without the artist giving background information, the viewer provides the historical account. Trumbull’s paintings of Harvey challenge this rule, however. He painted her not just as a record of her life, but there seems to be a deeper reason. He did not need…

CHARLES WILSON PEALE’S PORTRAITURE

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, Sarah Hope Harvey Trumbull, Variety is the Spice of LifeJune 3, 202636Views 0Likes 0Comments

Another student of Benjamin West, Charles Wilson Peale, studied with him a few years before John Trumbull came to study with West. Peale’s father died when he was still a child, so Peale had to drop out of school and apprentice to a saddle-maker. He was not especially suited to this profession and when he…

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL & GILBERT STUART IN ENGLAND

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, Variety is the Spice of LifeJune 2, 202627Views 0Likes 0Comments

Gilbert Stuart, like Trumbull, studied under West. Several stories have circulated as to how Stuart became a pupil of West. One story has Stuart send a letter to West imploring, “Pity me Good Sir, I’ve just arrived at the age of 21 an age when most young men have done something worthy of notice &…

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL HARVARD YEARS & JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY PORTRAITURE

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, Variety is the Spice of LifeJune 2, 202635Views 0Likes 0Comments

As a youth, John Trumbull balked at going to Harvard. Trumbull records, “The tranquility of the arts seemed better suited to me than the more bustling scenes of life, and I ventured to remonstrate with my father, stating to him that the expense of a college education would be inconvenient to him, and after it…

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL- ARRESTED AS A SPY

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, TrumbullApril 15, 202692Views 0Likes 0Comments

Trumbull was in England studying under Benjamin West with Gilbert Stuart, when calamity fell. A series of unfortunate events transpired. In the middle of the night, English officers came to Trumbull’s door. They were looking for his roommate, who presumably was still out on the town. Finding only Trumbull at home, the officers began searching…

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL- AMERICA’S FIRST COLLEGE- EDUCATED ARTIST

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, TrumbullApril 15, 2026103Views 0Likes 0Comments

With no other recourse, and finally with the money saved, Trumbull readied himself and went to Harvard to study law. His father had pulled some strings and instead of entering as a Freshman, Trumbull would enter, at the age of fifteen, as a Junior. Trumbull was older than most of the boys in his class…

COL. JOHN TRUMBULL’S FORMATIVE YEARS

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, TrumbullApril 15, 202641Views 0Likes 0Comments

Col. John Trumbull was the fifth child of Gov. Jonathon Trumbull and his wife Faith, pictured above in a print of a painting from 1778 housed as per the Conneticut Historical Society, artist not listed. As it is often with the youngest child of a large family, he had many hours to fill on his…

TRUMBULL’S PRIVATE PORTRAITURE

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, TrumbullMarch 26, 202651Views 0Likes 0Comments

Trumbull painted many miniature portraits. These were not the usual types of miniatures that were used as decoration. These types of miniatures were often painted with watercolors on ivory. Trumbull’s miniatures were different because, although small, they were done in oil on mahogany. Painted with impastos and glazing techniques, Trumbull’s miniatures show texture and depth.…

TRUMBULL’S EARLY AMERICAN PORTRAITURE

American History, Nothing But Trumbull, Sarah Hope Harvey TrumbullMarch 25, 202684Views 0Likes 0Comments

To restart his career in New York, Trumbull concentrated on portraits which were an easy source of revenue. Always haughty, Trumbull had mixed feelings about this easily earned source of income. Trumbull spending his time on portraits felt painfully beneath him. Trumbull once told Jefferson that he believed portraiture was “frivolous, little useful to society…