What does John Trumbull’s famous Declaration of Independence painting actually show?

John Trumbull’s famous Declaration of Independence painting shows the Committee of Five presenting the draft to Congress.

The painting, usually called Declaration of Independence, depicts Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman presenting their document to the Second Continental Congress. The scene represents June 28, 1776, rather than the later signing ceremony.

The image is frequently described as a signing scene because it includes many delegates in Independence Hall. In reality, Trumbull’s composition is a presentation of the draft. The figures were not all present in the room together at the same time, and the painting does not include every signer.

Congress commissioned the painting in 1817, and it was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in 1826. Its imagery later appeared on U.S. currency, including the reverse of the two-dollar bill.