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Winfield Lukens
Baron Steuben Drilling Troops at Headquarters Valley Forge

1902

$18,000
£13,709.41
€16,405.45
CA$25,653.23
A$26,078.40
CHF 15,091.55
MX$346,679.21
NOK 169,321.89
SEK 180,363.59
DKK 122,609.37

About the Item

Illustration for an unidentified publication. Annotated by the artist on the reverse: "Baron Steuben Drilling Troops at Headquarters Valley Forge Winter of 1777-1778, Copyright by Winfield S. Lukens, Davisville, Bucks, Co. Pa." Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge on February 23, 1778, to find a Continental Army that was ill-equipped, poorly fed, yet remarkably resilient in spirit. A former aide-de-camp to Frederick the Great, Steuben had crossed the Atlantic in 1777 without promise of pay or rank, carrying a letter of introduction from Benjamin Franklin. Appointed temporary Inspector General by George Washington, he set about reorganizing the undisciplined American army on the European model. The Continental Army had previously utilized a patchwork of regional drills and maneuvers with no common standard. His solution, the "Regulation for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States," became known as the "Blue Book" and would be used by the U.S. Army until 1814. It was an extraordinary feat of organization that transformed a collection of state militias into a unified fighting force, securing Steuben's lasting place among the architects of American independence. When he left military service in 1784, Steuben was granted full citizenship, a pension, and a land grant in New York's Mohawk Valley, where he settled with two of his former aides, William North and Benjamin Walker, whom he later legally adopted and to whom he left his estate upon his death. His close, affectionate relationships with these men, along with another young aide, John Mulligan, to whom he left his library, have led historians to believe he was gay and to consider Steuben among the queer figures of the American Revolution. The painting was shown in episode 5 of Ken Burns's documentary series The American Revolution during a segment on Baron von Steuben's contribution to the Continental Army's success. (detail of painting appears at 24:57) Very good original condition; gold frame. Date: 1902 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 24.00" x 26.00" Signature: Signed Lower Right and Inscribed on reverse
  • Creator:
    Winfield Lukens (1874 - 1940, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1902
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 24 in (60.96 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Fort Washington, PA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 29681stDibs: LU38431558043

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