Painting History: John Trumbull and the Battle of Bunker's Hill

Flags snap in the breeze and smoke hangs menacingly above the ground. Men clash, yield, and die in a desperate battle on the crest of a hill. These images merge to form John Trumbull's painting, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June 1775 (Figure 1). It is a dramatic image that appears frequently in print as illustration and cover art. Art historians comment positively on its technical merits, offering a variety of intriguing interpretations. These interpretations, though, frequently overlook the historical context of the original painting. Historical applications pair the painting with an appropriate historical text, but rarely take the opportunity to interpret the painting as a source in its own right. Historian Louis Masur makes this point when he criticizes the use of images in textbooks. Pictures, Masur argues, have become necessary but are not as a general rule presented in a way that asks or even allows for a complete reading of those same images. The loss is not merely in textbooks and other publications. It also occurs in the classroom, where pictures have become necessary backdrops for computer-supported lectures, and on Web site applications, where images dress but seldom add to the text.This essay argues for a more complete use of images outside and inside the classroom. In doing so, it applies techniques from two disciplines — history and art history — to offer a more complete reading of John Trumbull's The Death of General Warren at Bunker's Hill. This reading is presented from multiple perspectives, including the historical context in which the image was created, the artist's connection to the subject, and his interpretive and technical choices.