4th of July 2026

 4th of July

Today is the 250th birthday of the United States of America – an occasion to celebrate.  On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence, in which the 13 colonies declared themselves to be "free and independent States", was approved by the Continental Congress and signed.

Today we're going to look at some of the Founding Fathers.  The Declaration of Independence was largely written by Thomas Jefferson.  Above is a painting called Self Portrait, Sally Hemings by Marisa Williamson, 2013, depicting Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings.  If we're going to delve into our history, we have to acknowledge the bad parts, like slavery, as well as the good parts that we celebrate.

Benjamin Franklin also wrote part of the Declaration of Independence (he is responsible for the line "we hold these truths to be self-evident").  Although we have no nude portraits of Franklin, his writings reveal that he was actually somewhat of a nudist (above).

Before the Revolution he traveled to London to represent the colonies, and he enjoyed swimming naked in the Thames, in public.

And here's Benjamin Franklin riding in the World Naked Bike Ride in 2018 in Philadelphia.  Well, maybe he would have, if he were alive in 2018.  Since he wasn't, I added him in Photoshop.  This scene was photographed on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, so perhaps Franklin was there in spirit.

George Washington was not present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.  He was in New York, commanding the Continental Army.  But Washington is the only one of the Founding Fathers who was depicted nude in a historic artwork, above.  This is a nude plaster model of Washington by Italian artist Antonio Canova, for a sculpture commissioned by Thomas Jefferson in 1816.

The finished sculpture, which has since been destroyed, depicted Washington as a clothed Roman statesman, with a Roman-style haircut instead of Washington's longer hair that we're familiar with.  It was not uncommon in those days for a sculptor to first make a nude model of the subject as a study of form and muscle.  Unfortunately, this is not a realistic depiction of Washington.  It's a work of Canova's imagination, because in 1816, Washington had been dead for 16 years.

Anyway, today is our country's 250th birthday.  Let's celebrate!