Emanuel Leutze: Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851)

 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA)

Another famous painting. The subject of this painting is a scene during the American War of Independence (1775-1783). In the night of December 25–26, 1776 general George Washington (the man standing in front of the boat) launched a surprise attack on Hessian troops (German troops in British service) at Trenton, New Jersey. Washington led about 2400 US soldiers while they were ferried across the frozen Delaware river. In the resulting battle of Trenton (December 26, 1776) the Hessian forces were defeated. Painting from 1851