In 1776, the "old money" families in New York - the ones that had been around in Dutch times and had continued to thrive for a century under the British -…
If I had a list of ten favorite portraits, this would be on it, and near the top. First of all, the subject looks intelligent and dignified; but that's the…
The pamphlet Common Sense, which Angelica mentions in "The Schuyler Sisters," was published anonymously in Philadelphia, on January 10, 1776. Within a few months, British expatriate Thomas Paine was known to be…
If you need a dose of Hamilton after Hamilton, here's half a dozen places to visit where you can take selfies with Alexander or walk in his footsteps. But first ...…
Lord Acton wrote that Lafayette taught his compatriots the American "theory of revolution, not their theory of government - their cutting, not their sewing." Gouverneur Morris told George Washington that…
John Laurens didn't live to see the end of the American Revolution. He died at age 27, killed by the British ten months after Yorktown - which was only recognized in…
The opening number of Hamilton: An American Musical, "Alexander Hamilton," has brief references to every important aspect of Hamilton's life and character: his being illegitimate and an orphan, his ambition, his constant rushing, his…
Here's another handful of portraits I find irresistible. (See also my post on portraits of women at the National Gallery.) Bellini, Portrait of a Condottiere (Giovanni Emo) My favorite Bellini is…
I've loved reading for as long as I can remember, and this painting captures the emotion I associate with it---utter absorption and bright light, even if the day is dark…