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Liberty

Don Troiani’s Paintings of the Revolutionary War

Don Troiani and the Museum of the American Revolution

Stackpole Books, Guilford, Connecticut, 2021, 144 pages

Book Review published on: June 30, 2023

What can one say about a collection of prints by one of America’s most respected historical artists? Liberty: Don Troiani’s Paintings of the Revolutionary War is especially intriguing because its subject matter is limited to events of the American Revolutionary War. As an artist, Don Troiani is, by necessity, also a superb historian. In his preface, the painter submits that the American Revolutionary War is his favorite period in history to study. It shows in his artwork.

The book is generally laid out in chronological order, from the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, to Victory at Yorktown and The Veteran’s Return. Overlaying this generally chronological order is a regional organization of the conflict with chapter headings that include “Let It Begin Here,” “The Times That Try Men’s Souls,” “Victory in the North,” “Stalemate,” “War in the South,” and “Yorktown.” Troiani employs multiple points of view, examining events from the perspectives of both Revolutionaries and Loyalists, with examples of the ebb and flow of victories and defeats from both sides. Each example of major artwork is accompanied by a contextual explanation of the piece, written by a superb team of historians. In addition to the major pieces, there are many minor studies by Troiani, plus maps, period posters, artwork, and photographs of artifacts. How does an artist capture not only the content of an action, but its context, the terrain, the weather, and even emotions of the event’s participants? Troiani provides multiple insights into the “how” of depicting a battle scene. Many of his illustrations are accompanied by artist comments, in which he shares with the reader some of the backstories of the art’s creation. For example, generating photographs of models in specific uniforms or on horseback, visiting locations to understand the topography, or taking photographs of footprints after a snowstorm to reproduce the patterns on canvas.

This is more than a collection of interesting art. It is a genuine historical work, a well-organized, studious volume about a critical period in the Nation’s history. The artwork is exceptional and is complemented superbly by the accompanying historical narrative essays. It is worth a serious cover-to-cover study. Simply thumbing through the volume, however, will give any reader a greater appreciation for the relationships in time, space, and circumstances of key events during the Revolutionary War. In that respect, this is an educational volume, not simply a coffee table collection of art. For example, how many readers are familiar with the Stockbridge Indian Massacre? Any reader is bound to learn something new. I certainly did.