In honor of Presidents Day, we share with you a painting from our collection, currently on view in "The Unfinished Revolution: Maryland in the Wars for Independence." This romanticized post-battle landscape shows an imagined gathering of generals after the American and French allied victory over the British forces at the Battle of Yorktown in October of 1781. The generals include the Marquis de Lafayette on George Washington’s left; Comte de Rochambeau, commander of the allied French troops, third from the right; and Maryland-born Colonel Tench Tilghman, who is seen in profile, holding the Articles of Capitulation from Charles Cornwallis and the British Army. George Washington is often portrayed in a glorified fashion and this painting is no exception. Created several years after the Battle of Yorktown, Peale depicts Washington grandly pointing to the quiet aftermath of the battle. Ship fragments can be seen in the water and fallen horses dot the shoreline. This representation offer...