John Trumbull painted the Capitol artwork titled Declaration of Independence, displayed during America250.
Trumbull’s large oil painting depicts the Committee of Five presenting the draft Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress. The scene is commonly recognized because it appears on the reverse of the United States two-dollar bill.
The painting is not a literal record of every person signing the document. Trumbull arranged a group of delegates in the room and included 42 figures, while five additional men appear in the background. Some people shown were not present in the room at the moment depicted, and not every signer appears.
The artwork is displayed in the United States Capitol rotunda, where it forms part of a series of historical paintings about the country’s founding. Its connection with the 250th anniversary comes from its subject: the creation and presentation of the Declaration that America250 commemorated.