Author(s): Mary Manfredi Published by: The Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture URL: https://cmsmc.org/publications/washington-rallying-the-troops Date Published: June 11, 2021 Citation: Manfredi, Mary. “Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth (1857) : A Window into Nineteenth Century Domestic Domains.” The Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture, June 11, 2021. CMSMC is run by fellow master’s scholars as a platform for colleagues to disseminate their work. We are an independently run organization and are not affiliated with any university or institution. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 For more information about The Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture, please email us at [email protected] 1 Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth (1857): A Window into Nineteenth-Century Domestic Domains By: Mary Manfredi Abstract: Since the late-eighteenth century, artists have replicated and disseminated George Washington's image and likeness to preserve his memory and legacy. The popularization of history painting compelled artists to decorate a canvas with decisive moments in the country's founding years. Emanuel Leutze (1816-1868) is one such artist who won praise for his monumental Washington Crossing the Delaware in 1851. Two years later, Leutze created a companion piece, Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth (1853). This work shows an unfavorable side of Washington, a commander scrambling to catch his retreating troops. While the public and scholars often focus on Leutze’s more famous image of Washington, the companion piece offers a deviation from sacrosanct portrayals of the first president. This article examines how David Leavitt commissioned Leutze to recreate this piece in 1857 for his daughter, Elizabeth Leavitt Howe. It argues that the shift in tonality speaks to its change in display, from a monumental canvas intended for a gallery, to the veneration of Washington's image as a form of emulation and active remembrance in a domestic domain. The gifting of the 1857 painting informs the cult of domesticity and code of household governance ever-present in American culture. The painting, therefore, becomes a material way to understand the relationship between objects and family members in nineteenth-century America. Through provenance research, visual analysis, and object networks, this piece will illuminate the divergence in Washington's iconography, while also highlighting the changes made for its placement in a nineteenth-century domestic domain. Key words: 19th century American history, cult of domesticity, patriarchy, memory, veneration, history painting 2 An animated painting of George Washington at the Battle of Monmouth hung in Elizabeth Leavitt Howe's home in the late 1800s. Washington's face graced the walls of many nineteenth-century American domestic domains. When one takes a closer look at Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth (1857), a mixture of emotions become discernable in the composition (Figure 1).1 Soldiers cannot mask their utter fear and confusion at the sight of their commander in chief rushing towards them on a brown steed. With one swift motion, Washington uses his left hand to pull the reins of his horse to a startling halt, and thrusts his sword up to the sky with the other. The horse neighs, and lifts its front legs off the ground, which further propels this towering leader high above the crowd of men assembled before him. Amongst all this commotion, the viewer gazes upon a traditional portrayal of Washington, unmoved even in the heat of battle. What appears to be a popular history painting gains more significance when one analyzes its provenance. Figure 1: Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth, 1857. Oil on canvas. 52 x 87 in. (132.1 x 221 cm). Monmouth County Historical Association. Gift of the Descendants of David Leavitt, 1937. Object Number 1029. 3 David Leavitt commissioned Emanuel Leutze to paint this work for his only daughter, Elizabeth Leavitt Howe, in 1857. Just a few years earlier, Leutze crafted a three-times larger version of the same scene for Leavitt's gallery in Great Barrington, Massachusetts (Figure 2).2 The 1857 replica is seemingly identical to the original, but discrepancies arise in the coloring and in the portrayal of George Washington. Art critics chastised Leutze for his sacrilegious portrayal of an American icon in the 1853 piece. In the middle of battle, Washington's furrowed eyebrows and stern glare speak to the unmistakable anger depicted on his face. Exhibited publicly and on a monumental canvas, the artist did not want viewers to miss his deviation from the classic, stoic portrayal of Washington. When Leavitt commissioned the significantly smaller 1857 piece, he told Leutze that it would be a gift for his daughter in her private home. When the intended audience of the work changed, so too did the creative license of the artist. This shift in tonality in the 1857 piece models its change in display, from a visually pleasing piece of art in a gallery, to the veneration of Washington's image as a form of emulation and active remembrance in a domestic domain. The gifting of the 1857 painting informs to the cult of domesticity and code of household governance ever present in nineteenth-century American culture, exhibited by the relationship between David Leavitt and his daughter Elizabeth. 4 Figure 2: Emanuel Leutze. Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth, 1853-54, oil on canvas, 156 x 261 inches, University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, gift of Mrs. Mark Hopkins, 1882.1 Several material objects allow the viewer to trace the artist's creative process that eventually led to Leutze's portrayal of George Washington. In 1850, Julius Roeting painted a portrait of Leutze while he worked on Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) (Figure 3). In the bottom right-hand corner, Roeting included a bust that Leutze used to capture the image and likeness of George Washington.3 The bust is a copy of a 1785 life mask cast by the renowned sculptor Jean Antione Houdon in 1785 (Figure 4). Leutze purchased three copies of this life mask, and meticulously studied Washington's facial features.4 He familiarized himself with the intricate details of the Founding Father's face and tested his mastery with George Washington, Study for Washington Crossing the Delaware (1850). In 1851, Leutze completed an early version of his greatest masterpiece, Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) (Figure 5).5 Delaware elevated Leutze's status in the art world while also adding another contribution to the canon of Washington images. 5 Figure 3 (Left) : Julius Amatus Roeting. Emanuel Leutze, 1850. Öl auf Leinwand. 119,5 x 91,5 cm Inv.: B 406. Figure 4 (Right): 189 George Washington Life Mask ; Life Mask, about 1835-1845. George Washington, attributed to Auguste Lenci. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Plaster. 189. The Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, Washington DC. Gift of Olivia Briggs. The sheer size of Delaware transports the individual inside of the work. With a massive 149 x 255-inch canvas, it is hard to miss it in a gallery. Delaware commands the attention of anyone within its vicinity and Leutze's realistic portrayal of this historical moment also instills a sense of patriotism and pride.6 The viewer transcends into the work as a passive observer, seemingly seated in an adjacent boat on the icy waters of the Delaware River. Turning to face the commander, the viewer catches a glimpse of the fearless leader, moving his troops under the cover of darkness. Leutze captures the soldiers in action, guiding their boats across the water. In a scene of commotion, Washington's positioning in the composition offers a sense of stability. His fixed gaze on their destination as well as his unfaltering stance sends a message that Americans persevere through difficult times with strength and determination. Delaware is a 6 blockbuster painting; its immense size and heroic overtones make the piece a spectacle, perfect for an art exhibition. Many flocked to see Delaware because of its reputation which circulated around its enormous canvas. Leutze's painting of the stoic leader became hailed as a national icon, and received a plethora of positive reviews.7 Figure 5: Emanuel Leutze. Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851. Oil on canvas. 149 x 255 in. (378.5 x 647.7cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of John Stewart Kennedy, 1897. 97.34. In 1852, Leutze submitted an application to Congress to paint a copy of Delaware with a companion piece. At the time of submission, Delaware was on display in the Rotunda of the Capitol. This second painting would portray Washington at the Battle of Monmouth. Congress chose not to award Leutze a commission to paint either of these works in the Capitol.8 David Leavitt, an aspiring collector, missed the opportunity to purchase Delaware and did not want to lose Monmouth too. In 1853, Leavitt commissioned Leutze to execute Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth. It's plausible to claim that the political climate in Germany influenced Leutze's creative process. At the time, many German supporters of the Revolution of 1848 saw parallels between their own political upheavals and the American Revolution. George 7 Washington in a sense became a triumphant figure for both revolutions. Leutze composed a scene that left many art critics baffled and confused by the artist's interpretation of this historical event. Monmouth received mixed reviews when exhibited in both the United States and Europe in 1854. Art critics scrutinized virtually every aspect of the painting. The Independent applauded Leutze's technique, and claimed it showcased the artist's mastery more so than Delaware, but the reviewer ultimately grappled with the subject portrayed on the canvas.