Portrait of Lafayette (Scheffer)
| Portrait of Lafayette | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Ary Scheffer |
| Year | 1823 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 233.7 cm × 157.5 cm (92.0 in × 62.0 in) |
| Location | Capitol, Washington |
Portrait of Lafayette is an 1823 portrait painting by the Dutch artist Ary Scheffer. It depicts the French statesman Marquis de Lafayette at full-length.Quick,[1] In 1824 Scheffer gave this work as a gift to commemorate Lafayette's visit to the United States, in which he addressed a joint session of Congress, the first foreign dignitary to do so.
Scheffer moved to France in 1811 and became associated with the romantic movement. The work was inspired by an earlier, but different portrait of Lafayette, Scheffer had produced that was exhibited at the Salon of 1819 at the Louvre in Paris.[2] This original as auctioned by Christie's in 2001.[3]
It was a displayed Capitol Rotunda for the duration of Lafayette's 13-month tour and enjoyed great public popularity. Today the painting hangs in the chamber of the House of Representatives.[4]
References
Bibliography
- Quick, Michael, Sadik, Marvin S. & Gerdts, William H. American Portraiture in the Grand Manner, 1720-1920. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1891