The Heroine of Monmouth

MediumLithograph on paper

Dimensions10.5 × 12.75 in. (26.7 × 32.4 cm)

InscribedInscribed bottom margin center, "Copyright 1876 by Currier & Ives NY. / THE HEROINE OF MONMOUTH. / MOLLY PITCHER, The wife of a Gunner in the American Army, who when her husband / was killed, took his place at the gun, and served throughout the battle. (June 28th 1778.)"

SignedInscribed lower left, "PUBLISHED BY CURRIER & IVES." Inscribed lower right, "125 NASSAU ST. NEW YORK."

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineGift of Donald F. X. Finn, 1996

Object number1996.23

DescriptionA fictional depiction of bedrangled Molly Pitcher standing to the left in front of a brass cannon wielding the ramrod with both hands. She is dressed in a red skirt and blue bodice with white sleeves rolled up. The gun captain stands at the rear of the cannon, which is mounted on a wheeled carriage, with a match in his hand ready to fire it. He wears a red shirt with sleeves rolled up, a black tie, and a white bandana around his head. Molly's dead husband appears in the foreground, wearing a white shirt and brown pants. Cannon balls lie on the ground around him. An overturned bucket rests on the ground to the left of Molly. Soldiers are depicted in the left distance, and smoke from the cannon fire fills the sky. An American flag emerging from the clouds of smoke waves over the entire scene.
Curatorial RemarksAs the “printmakers to the American people,” the New York publishing firm of Currier & Ives continued to disseminate the tale of Molly Pitcher to middle-class audiences well into the late nineteenth century. This lithograph was issued in 1876 in commemoration of the nation’s Centennial celebrations. Consistent with the patriotic spirit of the day, Molly is represented in a more appealing manner than in The Women of ’76. In this instance, she retains her female attributes: her facial features are delicate, her hourglass figure is shapely, and her lower legs are not exposed to the viewer. The artist’s conception is appealing, yet highly unrealistic.NotesA depiction of Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth, which took place on 28 June 1778.

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