Painting Patriots, Healing Wounds: The Art of Colonel John Trumbull

LMMM presents a talk by Connecticut State Historian Emeritus Walter W. Woodward The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will present a talk titled, Painting Patriots, Healing Wounds: The Art of Colonel John Trumbull by Connecticut State Historian Emeritus Walter W. Woodward. Light refreshments will be offered following the presentation. John Trumbull is often remembered as the "Painter of the American Revolution" for artistically capturing the most iconic moments of our nation’s founding period. Much of our collective visual memory of the Revolutionary period and the Founding Fathers stems from the life portraits Trumbull went to great pains to create. Today, his original artworks line the walls of the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., while engravings of his work are featured on our currency. Yet the road to fame was a difficult one for Trumbull. At a time when artists were looked upon as mere skilled workers, he fought for both status and respect, especially from his father, Governor Jonathan Trumbull of Connecticut. This richly illustrated talk discusses the lifelong struggle of John Trumbull to earn respect for his art by painting what he told Thomas Jefferson were some of the "noblest series of actions which have ever presented themselves in the history of man." It's a Connecticut family story about a talented son and a demanding father, one that made a very lasting impression on the American memory. Walter W. Woodward is Connecticut State Historian emeritus, having served as State Historian and as a member of the University of Connecticut History Department from 2004 to 2022. A scholar of Early American and Atlantic World history with a focus on Connecticut and New England, he is the author of five books, including “Creating Connecticut: Critical Moments That Shaped a Great State” and the award-winning Propsero's America. Woodward holds a Ph.D. with distinction from UConn and previously taught at Dickinson College. Before his academic career, he worked in the music and advertising industries, earning two Emmy Awards and eight Clio Awards. He continues to research, write, perform, and lecture through projects such as the program, “Today in Connecticut History,” and musical performances with The Band of Steady Habits. LMMM’s 2026 Lecture Series is sponsored in part by The DiNardo-Aiello Family Fund, Ronald & Joanne Salvatore, and The Sante Center for Natural Healing. LMMM’s 2026 programs are made possible in part by LMMM’s Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk, The Maurice Goodman Foundation, Inc., and Lockwood-Mathews Foundation, Inc., LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: Dr. Michele & Attorney Miklos Koleszar and The Sealark Foundation, Inc., and LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown.