Painting Franklin, Adams & Jefferson Drafting the Declaration of Independence





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Description


Anna Richards (20th Century)
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Drafting the Declaration of Independence, c.1970

Original Signed Oil on Canvas | Historic Americana Narrative Painting After Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris

Highlights

• Original hand-painted oil on canvas signed Anna Richards.
• Dating from approximately the 1970s.
• Executed after a celebrated historical composition by Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris.
• Depicts Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson consulting over the Declaration of Independence.
• Richly detailed interior featuring manuscripts, a terrestrial globe and period furnishings.
• Formerly held within a private American collection.
• Presented in a recently fitted decorative gilt frame.
• Glazed with museum-quality AR99 Artglass offering high-level UV protection.
• An impressive historical statement piece ready for immediate display.

Introduction

A compelling signed historical oil painting depicting Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson engaged in consultation during the drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Painted in oil on canvas and dating from approximately the 1970s, the work is signed Anna Richards to the lower-right corner. Its subject is derived from the celebrated historical imagery of Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris, whose romanticised depictions of America’s founding era became some of the most recognisable narrative compositions in American art.

Richly coloured and carefully staged, the painting combines historical storytelling with considerable decorative presence. The three founding fathers are shown surrounded by manuscripts, scholarly furniture and symbolic objects, creating an atmosphere of intellectual reflection and political consequence.

Formerly held within a private American collection and now presented in a recently fitted gilt frame with protective museum-quality glazing, this is an engaging work for collectors of Americana, political history and traditional narrative painting.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Anna Richards

Title: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Drafting the Declaration of Independence

Date: Circa 1970s

Medium: Oil on canvas

Signature: Signed Anna Richards lower right

School: Historical Americana

Subject: The drafting of the United States Declaration of Independence

Influence: Executed after Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris

Presentation: Recently fitted decorative moulded gilt frame

Glazing: Museum-quality AR99 Artglass with high-level UV protection

The painting is ready for immediate hanging and display.

Catalogue Note

The composition portrays three principal figures associated with the creation of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Benjamin Franklin is seated to the left, absorbed in the manuscript before him. His thoughtful expression and composed posture convey the wisdom, diplomacy and Enlightenment values for which he became renowned.

John Adams occupies the centre of the composition. Dressed in vivid crimson period costume, he provides the painting’s principal chromatic focus. His animated seated position suggests active discussion and intellectual engagement.

Thomas Jefferson stands to the right holding manuscript papers and a quill, acknowledging his pivotal role as the Declaration’s principal author.

The scene is enriched by carefully selected symbolic details. A terrestrial globe alludes to exploration, international affairs and Enlightenment thought, while scattered papers refer to authorship, diplomacy and political debate. Scholarly cabinetry and formal portraiture reinforce the colonial setting, with the carefully constructed interior lending the scene a distinctly theatrical sense of depth.

The work favours atmosphere and historical storytelling over literal documentary reconstruction. Its warm palette, expressive handling and romantic presentation place it firmly within the tradition of historical narrative painting.

Historical Context

In June 1776, as tensions between Great Britain and the American colonies intensified, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to prepare a formal declaration of independence.

The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson prepared the initial draft, which was subsequently reviewed and amended in consultation with Adams and Franklin before being presented to Congress.

The Declaration was adopted on 4 July 1776, announcing the separation of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain and becoming one of the most consequential political documents in modern history.

Paintings devoted to this event were intended to inspire and educate rather than provide exact documentary records. Through idealised settings and carefully arranged symbolism, artists transformed the nation’s founding into an accessible and emotionally resonant visual narrative.

Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris

Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris (1863–1930) was an American painter best remembered for his extensive series of historical compositions portraying significant episodes from the founding and development of the United States.

Ferris approached American history through dramatic staging, period costume and richly imagined interiors. His paintings were not intended as strict eyewitness reconstructions; instead, they combined historical research with theatrical interpretation and patriotic sentiment.

His depictions of the colonial and revolutionary periods became widely reproduced and helped shape the popular visual imagination of early American history.

The present painting follows this established tradition, reinterpreting Ferris’s imagery in a signed, individually painted composition with warmth, character and substantial decorative appeal.

The Artist

The work is signed Anna Richards at the lower right and has been catalogued under that name.

No confirmed published biographical record has presently been identified for this particular artist. The attribution is therefore based upon the clearly visible signature rather than an independently documented artist biography.

Richards demonstrates an evident appreciation for historical narrative, theatrical arrangement and symbolic detail. The balanced placement of the figures, warm tonal range and carefully furnished setting suggest a painter working confidently within the enduring tradition of romanticised Americana.

Executed after Jean-Léon Gérôme Ferris, the painting is an individually painted artistic interpretation rather than a printed reproduction. It should be appreciated as a signed decorative homage to one of the defining moments in American history.

Provenance

Private American collection.

Originally acquired through an art dealer in Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA.

Subsequently curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.

Its passage from an American private collection into a curated British presentation provides particularly appropriate transatlantic provenance for a painting devoted to the founding of the United States.

Dimensions

Canvas:

61 cm wide × 51 cm high

Framed:

78 cm wide × 68 cm high × 3 cm deep

A substantial yet versatile display size, offering considerable visual presence without overwhelming an interior.

Condition Report

Presented in good vintage decorative condition.

The oil on canvas retains warm colour, a clearly legible composition and strong overall visual presence. Close inspection reveals age-related surface wear, including scuffs, scratches, varnish streaks and abrasions, scattered surface marks and small areas of paint loss consistent with the painting’s age, handling and previous display.

Further cosmetic imperfections include rubbing within some of the darker passages, areas of craquelure and accumulated surface dirt. These characteristics are visible on close examination but do not materially diminish the painting’s overall decorative impact.

The canvas appears stable and structurally sound, and the composition remains highly presentable.

The recently fitted decorative gilt frame may display minor handmade variations, rubbing and small handling marks. It is fitted with protective museum-quality AR99 Artglass.

Please study all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description. Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.



Reserve: $5,346.00

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