[Lafayette] Liberté. Conclusion de la Campagne de 1781 en Virginie. To his Excellency General Washington this Likeness of his friend, the Marquess de la Fayette, is humbly dedicated by AMERICAN REVOLUTION - After Jean Baptiste LE PAON (1736-1785) - 1784

Paris: Chez Le Mire, 1784. Engraving by Noel Le Mire after Jean-Baptiste Le Paon, printed on thick laid paper. Sheet size: 20 x 14 inches. Old repairs to tears in the image. Scarce portrait of Lafayette, with James Armistead, the Battle of Yorktown raging in the background. Lafayette arrived in America in 1777 to join Washington's army, but returned temporarily to France in 1779-80 to secure financial aid for the Revolution. During that time, he commissioned French painter Le Paon paint a portrait of Washington as a present. The portrait was based on Peale's likeness, but with an elaborate military camp background and with numerous documents relating to the Revolution, including the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Alliance with France in Washington's right hand, and the torn papers on the ground concerning Britain's attempts at reconciliation with the colonies. Following the Battle of Yorktown and the American victory, Le Paon and Le Mire produced the present companion portrait of Lafayette, dedicating it to Washington. The portrait depicts the French general in full Continental Army uniform standing beside his horse, with African American Continental Army spy James Armistead (who later changed his name to Lafayette) holding his horse to his left, with the battle of Yorktown raging in the background. Le Mire announced subscriptions in the Journal de Paris on Oct. 4, anticipating that the engraving would be issued in December, 1783. One of two variants, the other without dedication to Washington and with added verse in French. Le Paon's original oil painting of this portrait is located at Lafayette College.