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Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine
Artist
Laurent Dabos, 1761 - 1835
Sitter
Thomas Paine, 29 Jan 1737 - 8 Jun 1809
Date
c. 1792
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 34 x 26cm (13 3/8 x 10 1/4")
Frame: 50.8 x 43.5cm (20 x 17 1/8")
Topic
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair
Thomas Paine: Male
Thomas Paine: Literature\Writer
Thomas Paine: Politics and Government\Statesman
Thomas Paine: Journalism and Media\Magazine editor
Thomas Paine: Science and Technology\Inventor
Thomas Paine: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Humanitarian
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Object number
NPG.2008.5
Exhibition Label
Born Thetford, England
“We have it in our power to begin the world over again,” Thomas Paine proclaimed in Common Sense. Paine had arrived in Philadelphia from England just fourteen months earlier. Yet his pamphlet, published anonymously in January 1776, helped prepare the public for the Declaration of Independence in July. He continued to boost morale during the Revolution’s darkest days, beginning his series of Crisis essays (1776–83) with the words, “These are the times that try Men’s souls.”
Paine’s attacks on hereditary monarchy and his declaration of liberty and equality as fundamental rights made him a hero in revolutionary France. In response to public demand for his image, this portrait was painted as a model for engravings. Returning to the United States in 1802 after fifteen years in Europe, Paine found that The Age of Reason (1794–1807)—his assault on traditional religion— had cost him friends and public support.
Nacido en Thetford, Inglaterra
“Tenemos el poder de comenzar el mundo de nuevo”, proclamó Thomas Paine en Sentido común. Había llegado a Filadelfia desde Inglaterra apenas 14 meses antes, pero su panfleto publicado anónimamente en enero de 1776 ayudó a preparar al público para la Declaración de Independencia en julio. Paine dio ánimos al pueblo en los días más sombríos de la revolución. Su serie de ensayos La crisis americana (1776–83) comienza así: “Estos son los tiempos que ponen a prueba el alma de los hombres”.
Los ataques de Paine a la monarquía hereditaria y su afirmación de que la libertad y la igualdad son derechos fundamentales lo convirtieron en héroe de la Francia revolucionaria. Ante la demanda de alguna imagen de él, este retrato sirvió de modelo para los grabados. De regreso a EE.UU. en 1802, tras 15 años en Europa, Paine descubrió que La edad de la razón (1794–1807), su ataque a la religión tradicional, le había costado amistades y el apoyo público.
Provenance
(Salamander Fine Arts, London); purchased 2008 NPG
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view