The Capture of Yorktown painting done by Louis-Nicholos Blarenghe
The Battle of Yorktown which took place from September 28, 1781, to October 19, 1781, was the final battle of the American Revolutionary war. The surrounded British army commanded by General Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington. The above painting depicts the scene of the defeated British army marching to the surrender field.
In examining the commissioned gouache paintings depicting the Siege of Yorktown, a pivotal event in the American Revolution, it’s essential to contextualize them within the broader historical narrative. The siege, which culminated in the surrender of British troops on October 19, 1781, marked a significant turning point in the war. American and French forces, led by Gen. George Washington and Admiral François Joseph Paul, comte de Grasse, surrounded the British under Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis after a 20-day siege. This surrender led to the resignation of British Prime Minister Lord Frederick North and paved the way for the Treaty of Paris in 1783, officially ending the war.
The events leading up to the Siege of Yorktown were characterized by strategic maneuvering and shifting alliances. Before the action at Yorktown, Cornwallis, without orders, had moved north from North Carolina to link up with British forces in Virginia and launch a full-scale offensive. The British drove American militia, commanded by the Marquis de Lafayette, out of Richmond, but they were soon restrained by the British commander in North America, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, who disapproved of Cornwallis’s unauthorized offensive. Clinton ordered Cornwallis to establish a defensive position on Chesapeake Bay, leading to the fortification of Yorktown and Gloucester in August1.
Meanwhile, Washington and his French allies seized the opportunity presented by Adm. de Grasse’s arrival in the Chesapeake with 29 warships. With the French fleet blocking British escape routes and additional French troops joining their forces, Washington and Rochambeau set out for Virginia, arriving at Williamsburg on September 14, 17812. The combined American and French troops, numbering approximately 16,000, laid siege to the British positions at Yorktown on September 28.
As American assault forces captured key British strongholds on the night of October 14, Cornwallis recognized the hopelessness of his position and requested a truce3, leading to the signing of articles of surrender on October 19. The victory at Yorktown was a culmination of coordinated efforts by land and sea forces under Washington’s command, leading to a decisive triumph that reshaped the course of the American Revolution and laid the groundwork for the eventual independence of the United States.
Lord Cornwallis surrenders to American Benjamin Lincoln flanked by French troops on the left and Continental troops on the right
Louis XVI’s commission of these paintings reflects the diplomatic and military significance of the Yorktown victory. Created by Louis-Nicolas van Blarenberghe, the paintings offer panoramic views and meticulous details, portraying the surrender scene with accuracy and grandeur. Despite some discrepancies in the landscape, the focus on the surrender itself underscores the magnitude of the event and the unity of the French American alliance.
The historical background of the American Revolutionary War, including the French support and strategic maneuvers leading to the siege, enhances our understanding of the paintings’ significance. Van Blarenberghe’s artistic choices, such as perspective and attention to detail, contribute to the narrative of French triumph and solidarity, shaping historical memory and diplomatic narratives of the time. These paintings, displayed in Versailles, served as potent symbols of victory and collaboration, reinforcing the legacy of the Siege of Yorktown within the broader context of the American Revolution.