Peter Frederick Rothermel, De Soto Raising the Cross on the Banks of the Mississippi

by Dr. Anna O. Marley and Dr. Steven Zucker

---

Picturing Spanish conquest in an era of U.S. expansion.

Peter Frederick Rothermel, De Soto Raising the Cross on the Banks of the Mississippi, 1851, oil on canvas, 101.6 x 127 cm (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, funds provided by the Henry C. Gibson Fund and Mrs. Elliott R. Detchon, 1987.31), a Seeing America video Speakers: Dr. Anna O. Marley, Curator of Historical American Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Dr. Steven Zucker

---

Additional Resources
This painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Historic rotunda paintings, Architect of the Capitol
History of Hernando de Soto’s expedition, Chickasaw Nation
Excavation, de Soto’s cross(?), Arkansas Archaeological Survey
Excavation, de Soto’s cross(?), Archaeological Conservancy

Cite this page as: Dr. Anna O. Marley and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Peter Frederick Rothermel, De Soto Raising the Cross on the Banks of the Mississippi," in Smarthistory, February 15, 2020, accessed March 22, 2023, https://smarthistory.org/rothermel-desoto/.

---