Study for The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker’s Hill
1785
John Trumbull sketched this chaotic battle scene to capture the raw energy of the American Revolution before creating his famous, polished masterpiece. You can see soldiers clashing with bayonets and swords, while others collapse in the foreground, showing the brutal reality of the fight. Trumbull actually served as a soldier in the war, using sketches like this to remember details for his grand neoclassical painting. It’s fascinating to see how the final, heroic version started as this messy, urgent drawing full of movement and smoke.
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