Happy Independence Day to those of you south of our border. Certain American art has come to represent the spirit of July 4th, some of it obvious (George Washington) and some of it just plain fun (Harold Finster).  Enjoy these selections.

Flag, Howard Finster, 1991, screenprint, 21.5 x 32 in

This painting features George Washington with the lyrics to the “Star-Spangled Banner,” along with rockets and UFOs. A Baptist minister from Georgia, Finster believed his artwork was a medium to spread God’s word. His paintings can be described as folk art or outsider art.

Washington Crossing the Delaware, Emanuel Leutze, 1851, 12 ft. 5 in. x 21 ft. 3 in. Held at The Met, N.Y.

Flag, Jasper Johns, 1954-55 Encaustic, oil, and collage on fabric mounted on plywood. 42 1/4 x 60 5/8″ Held at the MOMA.

And of course (below), a reference to what July 4th is all about, this painting depicts the moment when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress.

John Trumbull, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, 1786–1820, oil on canvas, 20 7/8 x 31 inches / 53 x 78.7 cm (Yale University Art Gallery)