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Primary sourcePainting26 March 1776

Portrait of Benedict Arnold

Thomas Hart · 26 March 1776

A 1776 colour mezzotint showing Colonel Arnold as the wounded hero of the American assault on Quebec, made before his later betrayal.

This lifetime portrait shows Arnold celebrated as a wounded Patriot hero of Quebec, before his later treason.

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Colour print of a standing man in a tricorn hat with gold trim, a blue coat with gold epaulette and buttons, a tan waistcoat, a red sash, and a sword hilt. He gestures toward a town with church spires across a river, with palm fronds behind him.
Thomas Hart (publisher), Colonel Arnold, 1776. Mezzotint, London.

About this source

What it is

This colour mezzotint print, published in London in 1776 by Thomas Hart, shows Benedict Arnold as a colonel, honoured for commanding troops sent against Quebec through the Canadian wilderness, where he was wounded serving under General Montgomery.

Why it matters

Made during Arnold's lifetime, while he was still seen as a Patriot hero, this image captures how the public viewed him before his later betrayal of the American cause. It is one of the earliest and most widely known likenesses of him.

Look closer

  • What details in his uniform and pose suggest he is being honoured as a hero?
  • Why might a London publisher have made and sold this print in 1776?
  • How might people have reacted differently to this image after 1780?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Benedict Arnold on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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