The New York Times Op-Art for July 4.
Matthew Dorfman, AD of the NY Times Op-Ed, and I have been working on this piece for a couple of weeks. I proposed the story, did preliminary research and art. He made it all make sense. Also great thanks to Sewell Chan, editor and the legendary Times researchers and fact checkers who found great stuff.
Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence some paid high emotional and monetary prices in the Revolution that followed. In the eight years of war that stretched across Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and beyond, many could not escape the direct effects of their defiance. Four were captured and imprisoned. One’s wife was taken prisoner. Sons were killed, taken prisoner. Some had their homes, farms, land holdings pillaged, looted and / or destroyed.
The Declaration of Independence closes with, “. . . we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Here are portraits of twelve signers for whom those words became meaningful in a directly personal way.
My first sketches. A from last June (seems long ago!).
Sacrifice has always been woven into this democratic experiment. That much hasn’t changed. There will be more challenges where the odds are high. Here’s hoping we find people as brave to put themselves on the line for what they believe. And that could be us.
Happy Fourth!
