Washington crossing the Delaware
1853-1890
Step aside, famous painting on the quarter—this gritty engraving by Felix Octavius Carr Darley offers a rawer take on the legendary river crossing. Created for Washington Irving's biography 'Life of Washington,' it shows a stoic General Washington on his white horse, pausing on the icy banks while his shivering troops prepare the boats in the background. Unlike the heroic, flag-waving versions we often see, Darley’s 19th-century illustration focuses on the harsh, freezing reality of the night, capturing the exhaustion and determination of the Continental Army.
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