This painting depicts the signing of the Treaty of Paris, in which Britain recognized American independence. The right half of the image is unfinished because the British delegation refused to sit for the painting.
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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Also, if Ben Franklin looks a little out of place and also vaguely familiar, it’s because the artist wasn’t able to paint Franklin either. So he just copied a pre-existing image of Franklin.
To be fair, if you got in a fight and won, I don’t think the other guy would be so happy if you pulled out your phone and took a selfie with him.
Heh, that’s kinda funny now that we can look back on it.
Henry Laurens and William Temple Franklin’s chests also refused to be in the painting
Imagining both sides trying to make awkward small talk for 3 hours to get through it.
Talk about a historic level ghosting.. The British delegation took no thanks, not sitting for this to a whole new level
Put in the cast of monty Python
I mean it seems fair enough… why would they agree to be painted?
I find it funny some people here mocking the British for not sitting. The USA taxes American expats and or they have to file tax returns when they live abroad or they lose their passport. As a Brit I never was expected to file tax return when domiciled abroad. “The land of the free”, so long as you can pay.
Kind of like the incumbent president who lost, (acting like a bigly baby, even staging an attempted coup) and then not showing up to the inauguration of the new US President.
The British delegation refused to sit for the sketch so he could only get the Americans.
My hottest take remains that the revolutionary war was unjustified. Getting into a war because of taxes (that were levied to recoup their losses in supporting America in the French and Indian War) is egregious imho.
even back then, they knew how to avoid an awkward group photo
People these days complain about sitting through meetings all day, imagine sitting through paintings?
Fine Gentleman
Maybe they should have taken a quick picture instead
If completed it would have been very awkward
Is there a decent art history subreddit?
“Bro, I ALREADY STARTED!”
And it all went downhill from there…
This needs the Mr Bean “Whistler’s Mother” treatment.
Fun fact:
Franklin made the deal behind France’s back because they wanted a better deal without allowing their French allies making their own demands during the negotiation process. France was furious when they found out, but Franklin told them that it would make the British so happy if they saw the US and France squabbling, so France should just let it go. Diplomatic genius.
Bratt-ish delegation, more like.
bro copy and pasted ben franklin😭😭😭
We’re gonna make you look like head daemons forever bish
Hartley and oswald: nah, i’m out
Lmao, lil punks
Salty Limeys.
Should have drawn some clowns
Fuck those guys.
Sore losers