Who painted the famous 1851 versions of Washington Crossing the Delaware?

Emanuel Leutze painted the famous 1851 versions of Washington Crossing the Delaware.

Leutze was a German-American artist who created three oil-on-canvas paintings showing General George Washington crossing the Delaware River with the Continental Army. The crossing occurred during the night of December 25–26, 1776, before the American victory at Trenton.

The best-known version is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Another large version was destroyed during World War II when the Kunsthalle Bremen was bombed. A third version is held by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

The image is a powerful patriotic symbol, but it is not a literal record of every visual detail. The boat, the passengers’ poses, and the dramatic composition were arranged for artistic effect. The actual Durham boats used in the crossing were broader and more practical than the small craft shown in the famous painting.