Who painted the 1819 historical work commonly known as Declaration of Independence?

John Trumbull painted the 1819 historical work commonly known as Declaration of Independence.

Trumbull’s painting is formally titled Declaration of Independence, depicting the Committee of Five presenting its draft to the Second Continental Congress. The scene shows 42 figures, although 56 people eventually signed the Declaration and not everyone pictured was a signer.

The painting is often mistaken for a literal record of the signing on August 2, 1776. It is instead a later artistic reconstruction of the committee presenting the document. Trumbull based many figures on portraits and personal observation, but he did not have a photograph or a complete contemporary visual record of the event.

The work was commissioned in connection with the Capitol and became one of the best-known images of the American founding. It is displayed in the United States Capitol Rotunda and has also appeared on U.S. currency, including the reverse of the two-dollar bill.