Planned in some secrecy, George Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River on the 25th of December 1776 in a logistically challenging and potentially dangerous operation. This scene was immortalized by German American artist Emanuel Leutze, whose 1851 oil-on-canvas painting now hangs in The Met. I’m guessing that’s where the RZA may have first laid eyes on Washington Crossing the Delaware. Fast forward to 2009 where the RZA commissioned someone to alter the iconic painting, inserting members of the Wu Tang Clan, samurai warriors, and 50 other hidden elements. There are two different versions of the RZA’s Life or Death, while only 300 numbered and signed copies of each will be printed.
