Nevertheless, Trumbull had done some research and did include the important figures at the signing.
For some reason, however, modern Americans seem to be always confusing another painting with the signing of the Declaration. I have found this painting on a website for the Christian Science Monitor and the Catholic Museum of Art, and several others. It is familiar to most Americans.
The Catholic Museum caption says this about the painting. "In 1998, Victor Korolev, a Russian immigrant portrait painter worked for The National Museum of Catholic Art and Library. He was commissioned to paint “The Declaration of Independence.” Ironically, he wanted very badly to become a US citizen but was not able to get a visa to stay longer in the US. He had to return to Russia. Victor, a great artist did many paintings for the museum including Archbishop Bishop John Carroll.
Victor’s version depicts the founding Fathers in different positions then John Trumball’s version at the Capitol in Washington, DC. In the center, we see Charles Carroll of Carrolton whispering in the ear of Ben Franklin. Thomas Jefferson stands behind him in a red coat. On Jefferson’s right sits John Adams. Leaning and writing on the desk is John Hancock. To the right of him stands a very tall and proud George Washington."
So what's wrong here? First of all, George Washington was not at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was in the field leading the Continental army. Alexander Hamilton was not at the Declaration signing either. In fact, in this painting he is mislabeled as Charles Carroll. This painting is of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. The figures are detailed here. Note the serious discrepancies in naming that the Catholic Museum piece makes.
The man identified as Jefferson in the Catholic painting is actually 40, William Jackson, the secretary. Jefferson was in France when the Constitution was written, so he did not sign it. Hamilton here is correctly identified. The man identified as John Hancock is also wrong. Hancock did not attend the Constitutional convention, in fact he was a bit leery of the whole idea of revising the Articles of Confederation.
The Christian Science Monitor used the same painting in their quiz on the Declaration and labeled it the signing of the Declaration.
If the curators of art museums or national news magazines can't keep the histories of this country's basic documents, you can imagine what the knowledge is of the population at large.
