Trumbull Gallery of Paintings in Yale College, 227 
fitness of the time, which he considered premature. And they 
particularly recommended, that wherever it was possible, the artist 
should obtain his portrait from the living person ; that where any 
one was dead he should be careful to copy the finest portrait that 
could be obtained ; but that in case of death, where no portrait 
could be obtained, (and there were many such instances, for, an- 
terior to the Revolution, the arts had been very little attended to, 
except in one or two of the cities,) he should by no means admit 
any ideal representation, lest, it being known that some such were 
to be found in the painting, a doubt of the truth of others should 
be excited in the minds of posterity ; and that, in short, absolute 
authenticity should be attempted, as far as it could be obtained. 
The artist was governed by this. advice, and spared neither la- 
bor nor expense in obtaining his portraits from the living men. 
Mr. Adams was painted in London; Mr. Jefferson in Paris; Mr. 
Hancock and Samuel Adams in Boston ; Mr. Edward Rutledge in 
Charleston, South Carolina; Mr. Wythe at Williamsburgh, in 
Virginia; Mr. Bartlett at Exeter, in New Hamphire, &c. &c. &c. 
In order to give some variety to his composition, he found it ne- 
cessary to depart from the usual practice of reporting an act, and 
has made the whole committee of five advance to the table of the 
president, to make their report, instead of having the chairman 
rise in his place for the purpose: the silence and solemnity of the 
scene, offered such real difficulties to a picturesque and agreeable 
composition, as to justify, in his opinion, this departure from cus- 
tom, and perhaps fact. Silence and solemnity he thought essen- 
tial to the dignity of the subject; levity or inattention would - 
have been unworthy on such an occasion and in such an assem- 
bly... The dresses are ‘faithfully copied from the costume of the 
time, the present fashion of pantaloons and trowsers being then 
unknown among gentlemen.” = sy iss 
T’he room is copied from that in which Congress held their ses- 
sions at the time, such as it was before the spirit of innovation laid 
unhallowed hands upon it, and violated its venerable walls by 
modern improvement, as it is called. 
The artist also took the liberty of embellishing the back-ground, 
by suspending upon the wall, military flags and trophies: such « 
had been taken from the enemy at St. John’s, Chambly, &c. and 
probably were actually placed in the hall. 
In fact nothing has been neglected by the artist, that was in 
his power, to render this a faithful memorial of the great event. 
