Source: 19c engraving
Commentary: Jonathan Trumbull’s Death of Major General Joseph Warren at the Battle of Bunker’s Hill, June 17, 1775 is an iconic image of the Revolutionary War. Among the handful of historical genre paintings most frequently appearing in history texts on the period, Trumbull’s Bunker Hill, as it is now most frequently known, is the oldest of them. Trumbull first publicly displayed the work in 1786. Artist-authorized engravings in black and white were sold by Trumbull, and pirated by others, from 1798 onward. The heroic battlefield death of Dr. Joseph Warren, an incident mourned nationally during the Revolutionary War and for several generations afterward, is the central vignette of Trumbull’s painting.
Additional artists during the 19th century focused on the Battle of Bunker Hill as a subject showcasing their historical genre artistry. Their works sometimes included Warren’s demise as a central subject; others included his demise, as if obligated to do so, but de-emphasize it in their composition; others delete it entirely.
I believe that today’s posted image has appeared only once and has been virtually lost thereafter. The image will be new to modern readers interested in Bunker Hill, Dr. Joseph Warren, and the Revolutionary War. Do return in future weeks for several more images of this nature.
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