Artwork
The Marquis de Lafayette
The Marquis de Lafayette is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Rembrandt Peale. It dates from 1825 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This oil on canvas depicts Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a key figure in the American Revolution.
- Accession no.
- 21.19
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1921
About this work
A man in a dark coat stands against a plain background, his face lit by soft light, the high white collar bright at his throat. Rembrandt Peale painted Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, in 1825. Lafayette was a French nobleman who fought in the American Revolution. Peale worked in smooth brushwork and careful light.
Subject & Meaning
The piece serves as a visual record of the Marquis, capturing his persona during the early nineteenth century for the American Wing collection.
Executed in 1825 by Rembrandt Peale, this oil on canvas portrait depicts Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette. As a work of portraiture, the painting's primary iconography is the likeness of the French aristocrat and military officer himself, identified explicitly as the main subject. The composition focuses solely on the figure of the man, adhering to the conventions of the genre to document his appearance.
While specific symbolic attributes or allegorical elements are not detailed in the available records, the work functions fundamentally as a representation of Lafayette's identity and historical presence. The piece serves as a visual record of the Marquis, capturing his persona during the early nineteenth century for the American Wing collection.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, by Rembrandt Peale was painted in 1825 and is executed in oil on canvas, the support commonly used for life‑size portraiture of the period. The canvas measures 87.6 cm in height by 69.5 cm in width. Peale’s technique employs a smooth application of oil paint to model the sitter’s features, and the work is classified as a portrait within the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains in the collection.
History & Provenance
The Marquis de Lafayette, an oil-on-canvas portrait by Rembrandt Peale, was created in 1825. The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains today. While earlier owners are not documented in the available sources, the work’s provenance traces directly from Peale’s studio to its current institutional home.
Its dating is firmly established by the artist’s inscription and the museum’s records, confirming 1825 as the year of execution.
Rembrandt Peale's 1825 portrait The Marquis de Lafayette is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified under The American Wing. The oil on canvas painting measures 87.6 by 69.5 centimeters. The provided sources do not specify an inventory or accession number, nor do they document any exhibition history for the work.
Context
Rembrandt Peale’s 1825 oil portrait of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, exemplifies early American attempts to canonize Revolutionary-era figures within a fine‑art framework. Its inclusion in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art underscores scholarly interest in how nascent national identity incorporated European allies, a theme explored in studies of early American portraiture. The work’s dimensions (87.6 × 69.5 cm), oil on canvas technique, and genre as a formal portrait reflect Peale’s adaptation of neoclassical conventions while preserving a realistic likeness of the French aristocrat.
As a documented piece in the museum’s collection, it serves as a reference point for analyses of transatlantic cultural exchange in the early republic.
Overview
This oil on canvas depicts Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a key figure in the American Revolution. Painted by Rembrandt Peale in 1825, the portrait captures Lafayette during a significant period in his life. It is characteristic of Peale's approach to portraiture, emphasizing the sitter's presence through controlled light and composition. The artwork is housed within the American Wing collection, representing a notable example of early American portraiture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Peale (February 22, 1778 – October 3, 1860) was an American artist and museum keeper.
