 The earliest artistic depiction of the Pilgrims was actually done before their arrival in America ; Dutch painter Adam Willaerts painted a portrait of their departure from Delfshaven in 1620 . The same scene was repainted by Robert Walter Weir in 1844 , and hangs in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol building . Numerous other paintings have been created memorializing various scenes from the life of Plymouth Colony , including their landing and the " First Thanksgiving " , many of which have been collected by Pilgrim Hall , a museum and historical society founded in 1824 to preserve the history of the Colony . 
