Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec, 31 December 1775
1785
John Trumbull was a soldier in the American Revolution before he became its most famous painter, and he wanted to capture the war's history while memories were fresh. This sketch serves as a 'rough draft' for his dramatic depiction of General Richard Montgomery’s death during the 1775 attack on Quebec. You can see the artist working out the chaos: fallen soldiers in the foreground and grieving comrades standing in the smoke, all drawn with loose, energetic lines. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how a Neoclassical masterpiece—eventually destined for the U.S. Capitol Rotunda—began as a messy, emotional study on paper.
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