Moll Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth

Periodca. 1856

MediumEngraving on paper with watercolor enhancements

Dimensions8 × 10.75 in. (20.3 × 27.3 cm)

InscribedInscribed bottom margin center, "MOLL PITCHER AT THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH. / From the orginal Picture in possession of the Publishers. / Entered according to the act of Congress, AD 1856, by Martin, Johnson & Co. in the clerk's office of the district court of the southern district of New York."

SignedInscribed lower left margin, "PAINTED BY D. M. CARTER." Inscribed lower right, "ENGRAVED BY J. ROGERS."

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, 1988

Object number1988.4.7

DescriptionA dynamic battle scene showing Molly Pitcher right of center standing in front of a grass cannon on wheels being manned by two soldiers. An American flag bearer is immediately behind her. A third soldier lies dead in the foreground in front of the cannon. Molly holds a ramrod, while her water bucket lies on the ground in front of her. George Washington and his officers appear in the right distance. Other American soldiers are chasing the British in the left hand section of the engraving. A second female figure has raised a hat above her head, behind a male kneeling to help a wounded soldier. Another soldier rests on a rock in the lower left foreground beside a pool of water. Smoke from cannon fire fills the sky.
Curatorial RemarksTwo years before creating his mythical portrayal of a bashful Molly Pitcher being presented to George Washington, Dennis Malone Carter (1827 - 1881) painted a patriotic battle scene in which he took a different stance, characterizing the heroine of Monmouth as a combatant brandishing a ramrod during the portion of the battle that took place along the Perrine Ridge. In the distance, Washington and his aides observe her actions. The original Carter painting is owned by the Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York. Carter’s painting inspired this print, which was engraved by John Rogers (ca. 1808 - ca. 1888), an Englishman based in New York City. The copyist deviated from Carter’s original composition by decreasing the number of figures and placing certain motifs, such as the water pitcher, closer to Molly (who comes across as bolder and less refined than the woman in Carter’s original oil). He also eliminated the red pitcher in Carter’s painting and altered some of the clothing, showing Molly’s fallen husband in a military jacket and adding stripes to the cannonier’s trousers. In another departure from the painting, the copyist turned a male figure with his hat raised over his head left of center into a second female figure. Both interpretations show a shirtless gunner and other soldiers wearing the lightweight hunting shirts favored by American infantrymen. Made of homespun linen or sometimes buckskin, they were lightweight, easily accessible, and less costly than standard uniforms. NotesA fictional depiction of Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth, which took place on 28 June 1778.

Collections

ProvenancePurchased from Mrs. Bernard J. Clark, West Chester, PA