"Washington Crossing the Delaware"

painted by Emmanuel Leutz in 1851

Lesson Designed by Grant R. Miller


Description | Source
Emmanuel Leutz's famous painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware," painted in 1851.
Emmanuel Leutz's famous painting, "Washington Crossing the Delaware" depicts General Washington standing in the middle of a boat. He is surrounded by soldiers who are rowing the boat across a river littered with large chunks of ice.http://cgfa.acropolisinc.com/l/p-leutze2.htm

DIRECTIONS

1. Analyze the Painting

First, describe what is happening in this painting. (You can enter your answer in the bottom right-hand corner of this page.)

2. Your Task

For this exercise, you will analyze different sources to determine this painting's importance. At the end of this exercise, you will answer two central questions:

a. Why is the painting considered an American icon ?

b. Does the painting tell us more about an event or the artist who painted it?

3. Hear What the Coaches Think

Click on the coaches below to hear their thoughts about how these two questions will help you analyze the sources on the following pages.