George Washington

Peale served as an army captain during the Revolutionary War, fighting across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania from 1776 to 1779. This canvas is a smaller version of his older brother Charles Willson Peale’s famed full-length portrait of Washington, with a different scene in the background. In 1781 the American Continental forces, assisted by the French, won a decisive victory over the British at Yorktown, Virginia—the last major land battle of the war in North America. The artist made sketches at the site for this painting, including a view of the harbor showing the masts of sunken ships. French and American flags fly above the general’s head, while British banners lie at his feet.