Skip menu to read main page content
This oil painting by Charles Willson Peale, circa 1784, depicts several men in military uniforms standing on a grassy area overlooking a coastal scene. In the background, a settlement with buildings and a windmill is visible, along with several ships anchored near the rocky shore. The sky is painted with warm hues, suggesting a sunrise or sunset. In the foreground, figures and horses are engaged in various activities near the shoreline.
View All exhibitions

Liberté/Liberty

Lafayette in Maryland

Located in the H. Furlong Baldwin Library alcove gallery, Liberté/Liberty highlights the affection and esteem in which Marylanders held him through a variety of fine and decorative arts, letters, and newspaper clippings. At the exhibition’s center is a full-length portrait of Lafayette ca. 1822

A celebrated hero of the American Revolution, Gilbert de Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, was a frequent and favorite visitor to Maryland both during and after the war. On his return tour across all 24 states of the union from 1824 to 1825, he was fêted at parties, balls, and less formally in private homes. In acknowledgment of the esteem held for him across the state, the Maryland Legislature declared him, and all his heirs forever, citizens of Maryland.

Main Image: Marquis de Lafayette, unknown artist, c. 1800, oil on canvas. Maryland Center for History and Culture, Bequest of Marcus L. Dudley in memory of George V. Porter, 1901.2.2.

Inset Image: George Washington and his generals at Yorktown, Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), c. 1784, Maryland, oil on canvas. Maryland Center for History and Culture, Gift of Robert Gilmor, Jr., 1845.3.1.

Logo

Your History Lives Here

Since 1844, we have collected, preserved, and interpreted Maryland's diverse history, art, and culture. Visit and see it at the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

Hours & TicketingDirections & AccessibilityFAQs