Who painted the iconic scene of the signing of the Declaration of Independence?

John Trumbull painted the iconic Declaration of Independence scene commonly associated with its signing.

Trumbull’s large oil painting, titled Declaration of Independence, was commissioned in 1817, purchased in 1819, and installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in 1826. The American artist and Revolutionary War veteran based the composition on his knowledge of the period and visited Independence Hall to study its room and setting.

The popular description “signing scene” is slightly misleading. The painting actually shows the Committee of Five presenting its draft to the Second Continental Congress on June 28, 1776—not all the delegates signing the final document. The formal signing of the engrossed parchment occurred mainly on August 2.

Trumbull depicted 42 of the 56 signers, along with some men who did not sign the final Declaration. His painting became especially familiar because an adapted version appears on the reverse of the U.S. two-dollar bill. That artistic liberty explains why the image should not be treated as a photographic record of one historical moment.