Birth 1776, Kanso's painting: American Revolution and Independence

Birth 1776

Birth 1776 bases its subject on the American Revolution and Independence in a three-part composition in which the left and right sections are linked by massive tree-trunk running upward with branches extending in all directions and penetrating the adjoining sections with texture and form suggesting organic association of cell forms that seem to subdivide and float around the figures. An eagle sits at the top against a ground shaped by red and white stripes of the American flag in a space dotted with stars and symbolic forms.

The area along the sides of the tree trunk reveals the faces of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

The left and right triangular sections are joined by the tree trunk in establishing a unified base line reflecting muskets and rifles symbolizing the arm struggle and fight for freedom and independence.