The Declaration of Independence was commissioned in 1817 and it was hung on October 5, 1818 in the American Academy of Fine Arts in New York. The painting shows audiences when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented on June 28, 1776 in Philadelphia. At the time of this painting, Trumbull didn’t have much to go off of. He only painted those who could be found or created and architectural features are based off of Thomas Jefferson’s memory. He was already a successful portrait painter, which is why he was most likely allowed to manipulate how it may have looked and who was there. The painting clearly presents Thomas Jefferson presenting the document to John Hancock. By looking at this photo, one can easily depict that
