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Surrender of Lord Cornwallis

About this painting

John Trumbull, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis. Commissioned 1817; purchased 1820. Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C.

Date created
1817–1820
License
This work is believed to be in the public domain. Users are advised to make their own copyright assessment and to understand their rights to fair use.
Source
Original image housed by U.S. Capitol Complex

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In the classroom

  • See our collection of articles on visual literacy for ideas on using photographs meaningfully in the classroom.
Painting of the surrender of the British at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. The Americans are lined up on horses and on foot, flying the American flag.

Size: 1024×675

John Trumbull’s painting Surrender of Lord Cornwallis was commissioned in 1817. The painting depicts the surrender of the British at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 — an event that ended the Revolutionary War. American General Benjamin Lincoln sits on a white horse in the center of the painting. French officers are lined up on the left, and Americans are lined up on the right. General George Washington sits on a brown horse in front of the American flag. Trumbull served in the Continental Army under General Washington, and included a self-portrait in this painting among the soldiers under the American flag.