Who painted The Spirit of ’76, first exhibited at Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition?

Archibald Willard painted The Spirit of ’76, first exhibited at Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exposition.

The work was originally titled Yankee Doodle and was created in 1875 for the centennial exhibition. It depicts three figures marching during the American Revolutionary era: an older drummer, a fife player, and a younger drummer. The painting became a widely recognized image of patriotic determination.

Willard was an Ohio artist and a Union veteran of the American Civil War. His father served as the model for the older drummer, and the death of Willard’s father influenced the painting’s more serious emotional tone. The work’s later title connected it directly with the revolutionary ideals associated with 1776.

The painting did not initially receive overwhelming critical attention at the exposition. Its popularity grew substantially after chromolithographic reproductions were marketed and the original traveled to other locations. The original painting is displayed at Abbot Hall in Marblehead, Massachusetts.