Paintings That Shaped American Identity | Irvine News

Presented by The Plant Daddies — rare specimen trees, living art, and hand-carved limestone vessels and fountains for extraordinary spaces. Showrooms in Los Angeles and Irvine. Listeners of Irvine News Today receive 10% off with code LANEWS10. theplantdaddies.com/lanews Did you know “The Spirit of 76” was originally called “Yankee Doodle” — a song the British used to mock Americans, only for colonists to turn it into a rallying cry? Painted by Archibald Willard for the 1876 Centennial, this iconic image toured the nation, inspiring 14 more versions — including one now in the U.S. State Department’s collection. The models? A Civil War vet, a general’s son, and Willard’s own father. Meanwhile, in the National Archives, Barry Faulkner’s 1930s murals depict the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration — voted America’s most influential document — capturing centuries of history in every brushstroke. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/1c0fc72bcdbecfb6