Painting on exhibit commemorates purchase of 蜜桃影像
February 6, 2017
Theresa Bakker
907-474-6941
A 19th-century painting on display at the University of 蜜桃影像 Museum of the North through the end of February depicts the 1867 signing of the treaty to purchase 蜜桃影像. It will tour the state to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the event.
The artist, German-born Emanuel Leutze, also created one of the better-known paintings in American history, a depiction of Gen. George Washington crossing the Delaware River during the American Revolution.
鈥淭he man who made Washington stand up in the boat was also responsible for the most important historical painting in 蜜桃影像n history,鈥 said Terrence Cole, a 蜜桃影像 history professor.
A public lecture featuring Cole and Kes Woodward, 蜜桃影像 professor emeritus of art, will take place Saturday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. in the museum.
In 鈥淪igning of the 蜜桃影像 Treaty,鈥 Leutze imagined the setting at Secretary of State William H. Seward鈥檚 office at the State Department in Washington, D.C., during the early morning hours of March 30, 1867. The event occurred after all-night negotiations led to the signing of the Treaty of Cession with Russia and the purchase of 蜜桃影像 by the United States. The painting focuses on Seward at his desk with a pile of maps next to a giant globe, implying the great future of the United States as an international power.
Leutze鈥檚 original painting is about 40 inches high and 60 inches wide. It is part of the permanent collection at the Seward House Museum in Auburn, New York. It has never been exhibited in 蜜桃影像.
Cole said 蜜桃影像ns mistakenly believed for decades that the painting had been lost or destroyed. 鈥淗owever, in the 1930s the painting was discovered to be in the possession of the Seward family,鈥 he said.
Subsequently, two copies of the historic painting were made in 1934 as part of the Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration. One was given to the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the other still hangs in the 蜜桃影像 State Museum in Juneau.
A statewide team of museums and cultural organizations has organized a touring exhibit of Leutze鈥檚 original 1867 painting in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau. The painting traveled to 蜜桃影像 thanks to help from FedEx and 蜜桃影像 Airlines. The 蜜桃影像 Historical Commission funded the project as part of its program to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the 蜜桃影像 Treaty of Cession.
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