Event handkerchief

Art Historical Context

This early 19th-century printed cotton handkerchief, measuring roughly 29 by 31 inches, captures the enduring fascination with the American Revolution through its textile medium. Produced in Britain yet steeped in American subject matter, the piece features imagery of key figures and events, likely drawn from the celebrated history paintings of John Trumbull. Such handkerchiefs served as affordable, portable souvenirs that brought stirring scenes of independence into everyday life, blending utility with patriotic storytelling. Asher Brown Durand, who began his career as an engraver, collaborated on designs that translated Trumbull’s grand compositions into repeatable printed patterns. The cotton support allowed for crisp, detailed imagery that could be washed and reused, highlighting the innovative intersection of fine art and industrial textile techniques during this period. Gifted to the Metropolitan Museum by Bella C. Landauer in 1944, the handkerchief now offers visitors a tangible connection to how revolutionary ideals traveled across the Atlantic and into domestic settings.

About the Artist

Asher Brown Durand|John Trumbull · 1796–1886

Was a principal member of the Hudson River School. American artist; associated with the Hudson River School of landscape painting. Comment on works: Portraits