John Trumbull painted the large Declaration of Independence scene displayed in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.
Trumbull’s oil-on-canvas painting was commissioned in 1817, purchased by Congress in 1819, and placed in the Capitol rotunda in 1826. It depicts the five-member drafting committee presenting the Declaration’s draft to the Second Continental Congress, rather than showing all 56 signers signing the document at one moment.
The painting measures approximately 12 by 18 feet and includes 42 of the 56 signers. Trumbull worked from life portraits when possible and used existing likenesses or family references for people who had died. Because the delegates were not all present at the same time, the image is an artistic reconstruction rather than a literal snapshot.
The painting is frequently described as a signing scene, but that description is inaccurate. The reverse of the United States two-dollar bill reproduces the presentation scene. Trumbull also painted other Revolutionary subjects in the Capitol rotunda, including the surrender of General Burgoyne and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis.