It was a close call but it appears that an 1857 Emanuel Leutze painting considered to be a companion to his “Washington Crossing the Delaware” has survived a possible sale.
That painting, “Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth,” depicts Washington leading American troops in the historic battle that occurred in June 1778 in Monmouth County, N.J. It is owned by the Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA), in Freehold, which proposed selling the painting in October to help make up for the museum’s financial shortfall.
When the historical society revealed that it was considering selling its Leutze painting, reaction was swift. Just a week after the annou, the president of the somail to members announcing the sale was no longer being considered.
“The statement followed a string of criticism from area historians and officials, including Freehold Borough Mayor Kevin Kane and four of his predecessors, who penned a letter urging that a sale be averted,” Joe Strupp, education reporter for the Asbury Park Press wrote in early November. Freehold is the Monmouth Borough county seat.
Strupp quoted MCHA Board President Linda Bricker’s email: “No action has been taken to initiate the sale of Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth.”
he new interest in sellinto have been inspired by the $45 million spring sale of Leutze’s “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” The historical society leaders judged that the Monmouth painting could fetch a similar price.
“The original renderings of ‘Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth’ and the slightly older ‘Washington Crossing the Delaware’ were wall-sized panoramas, which were in vogue in the mid-19th century, according to Elizabeth Pilliod, who is Art History Program Head and assistant professor of art history at Rutgers University-Camden. Leutze, who lived in Germany but spent formative years in Philadelphia, later painted smaller replicas; the smaller version of ‘Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmoutat’s in the MCHA’s possession. The panorama version hangs in a library at the University of California-Berkeley,” wrote Jerry Carino, community columnist for the Asbury Park Press after the possible sale had been scuttled.
Local historians launched an email campaign: “Prevent Self-destruction of the Monmouth County Historical Assn.” One member said, “Selling this painting would be the equivalent of the Vatican selling the Sistine Chapel.”
The mayors’ letter pointed out the local historical significance, especially as the 250th anniversary of the Revolution approaches. “The most important day in the history of our town and our county – and among the most important days in the history of our nation – was June 28, 1778, the day the Battle of Monmouth was fought here during the American Revolution,” the letter said “And the most important moment of that day was when General George Washington arrived on his horse to rally his retreating troops to hold off the advancing British army.”
Pilliod considers the Monmouth and Delaware River paintings to be related, Carino wrote. “I hope educators all around will point out its connection to ‘Washington Crossing the Delaware.’ These are monuments to the ideal of independence.”
David Leavitt, a banker from Brooklyn, commissioned the painting for his daughter, Elizabeth Leavitt Howe. On her death in 1898 it went to her daughter Anna Howe Booth of Englewood, N.J. who left it to her son the Rev. Fisher Howe Booth. In 1937 it went to his cousins Edward L. Howe and Walter B. Howe of Princeton, N.J.
The Howes, donors of the painting to the Monmouth County Museum, wanted the painting to hang in a museum or historical society in New Jersey. “It is now in your hands, where it should be, for safe keeping,” Walter Howe wrote in a letter to the museum.
Joe Strupp whose reports brought attention to the Monmouth painting, is an award-winning journalist who covers education and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of three books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at jstrupp@gannettnj.com.
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