John Trumbull painted the famous 1818 artwork showing the presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress.
Trumbull’s painting is titled Declaration of Independence and is commonly known as the Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776. It depicts members of the Committee of Five presenting a draft document to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
The image is historically influential but is not a literal record of every person who signed the Declaration in the scene. Trumbull selected 42 figures for the main composition, while additional people appear in the background. Some depicted delegates were not present in the room at the moment represented.
The painting hangs in the United States Capitol Rotunda and was reproduced on the reverse of the two-dollar bill. Its familiar composition is often mistaken for a painting of the signing itself, but it primarily represents the committee’s presentation of the draft.