Painting history: Upper West Side artists commemorate Jan. 6 Capitol riots with powerful artwork

Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of the Capitol riots in Washington, DC. For two artists from NYC, the occasion means it is time to, once again, whip out their paintbrushes.

Lesley Friedman Rosenthal and Brigitte Bentele of the Upper West Side in Manhattan mark the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington, DC, with powerful and somewhat unsettling works of art. Their hope is to document a pivotal moment in American history and spark necessary conversations around politics and democracy.

Friends and art collaborators, the pair is active in their local art community. Both artists have dedicated many of their bodies of work to interpreting the events of that infamous day in 2021, when a fired-up mob of protestors, including many President Donald Trump supporters, stormed the U.S. Capitol building in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election that was won by Joe Biden.

Painting by Lesley Friedman Rosenthal; photo courtesy Lesley Friedman Rosenthal

Several people died that day and hundreds of Capitol police officers were injured as a result of the riots. Over 1,000 people were arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned for their roles in the violence, but were pardoned by President Trump when he started his second term in office on Jan. 20, 2025.

“It’s been very important to me every year on the Jan. 6 anniversary to recall the horror of that day and how close we came to losing our democracy, to make sure it never gets forgotten,” Rosenthal said. “So each Jan. 6, I try to find a way to memorialize and underscore what happened on that day.”

Rosenthal met Bentele at a painting workshop in 2021 following the insurrection. Both women, angered by the riots, put their brushes together and came up with the idea to paint images of the day to help ensure it remains documented in history.

Painting by Brigitte Bentele; photo courtesy Brigitte Bentele

Rosenthal said she finds artistic expression to be a meaningful way to get at the emotional truth of some tough topics.

“Watching the horror unfold at the Capitol just struck such terror in my heart,” she said. “I was watching these beautiful places and highly symbolic buildings, the seat of our legislative power, come under attack.”

Bentele takes a different but equally compelling approach to her work. Her paintings, which she shares on her art Instagram page, depict familiar scenes of Jan. 6, such as rioters scaling the walls of the Capitol, police officers holding back protestors, flags donning President Donald Trump’s name and other recognizable images, all created using watercolor on canvas or paper.

“To me, it was so powerful to live with that day. But also horrifying in a way,” Bentele said. “To me, painting brings the importance of keeping that day alive, especially since so many people have been denying it.”

Bentele recalled being horrified while watching the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks unfold on television.

Painting by Brigitte Bentele; photo courtesy Brigitte Bentele

“I was just so shocked. I couldn’t believe what I saw,” she said. “Friends were texting me, ‘Turn on your TV!’ It still gives me chills to think about it.”

Where can New Yorkers see the Jan. 6 artwork?

Both artists said they understand the various points of view surrounding Jan. 6. But their goal is to use their medium to help ensure the lessons from the event never get lost in time. They view their art as a form of historical documentation, a visual record that captures the shocking events of the historic day.

Rosenthal’s work was recently exhibited at a gallery show in Sacramento. Bentele displays her patriotic pieces, as well as other works, including still lifes and landscapes, on Instagram.

Rosenthal’s painting is composed of two parts, symbolically representing democracy on one side and its potential for collapse on the other.

“I love our country,” she said. “It’s still a work in progress, obviously, but I’m hoping the paintings depict the majesty of the Capitol building and everything that it represents on the right side of the painting and then almost the fragility of it under the hand of the angry mob on the left side.”

Meanwhile, several NYS lawmakers are using politics to keep the moments of Jan. 6 alive. State Sen. John Liu and Assembly Member Charles Lavine, both of whom represent NYC and Nassau County, respectively, introduced legislation last month that would require public schools to teach students about the shocking and tragic moment in history.

The bill is currently in the Senate and Assembly committees, and must progress through the legislative process before it can become state law.