Charles, Earl Cornwallis, Lieutenant Général des Armées et Forces de sa Majesté Britannique dans l'Amérique (Charles, Earl Cornwallis, Lieutenant General of the Armies and Forces of his British Majesty in America)
Cornwallis is shown here at half-length in military dress. The oval frame is decorated above with ribbons around a laurel wreath with palms and laurels below. Emblems in the border include a Cap of Liberty, a shield, cannon and battle flag. Cornwallis was a leading British general in the American Revolutionary War who, in October 1781 surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia a combined Franco-American force, bringing hostilities to an end. This print was conceived before that decisive event and belongs to a series, published in Paris, portraying American and British military and naval figures active in the Revolutionary War.
British leaders, besides General Cornwallis, include Sir Henry Clinton, Admiral George Rodney and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rogers (an American-born leader of Native forces who fought for the British).
American leaders include General Horatio Gates, John Hancock (president of the Continental Congress), Admiral Esek Hopkins, General Charles Lee, General Israel Putnam, General Joseph Reed, General John Sullivan, and General George Washington.
British leaders, besides General Cornwallis, include Sir Henry Clinton, Admiral George Rodney and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rogers (an American-born leader of Native forces who fought for the British).
American leaders include General Horatio Gates, John Hancock (president of the Continental Congress), Admiral Esek Hopkins, General Charles Lee, General Israel Putnam, General Joseph Reed, General John Sullivan, and General George Washington.
Artwork Details
- Title: Charles, Earl Cornwallis, Lieutenant Général des Armées et Forces de sa Majesté Britannique dans l'Amérique (Charles, Earl Cornwallis, Lieutenant General of the Armies and Forces of his British Majesty in America)
- Engraver: Nicolas Dupin (French, active 1776–89)
- Artist: After William Hamilton (British, London 1751–1801 London)
- Publisher: Esnauts et Rapilly (French, active 1766–1804)
- Sitter: Charles, Earl Cornwallis (British, London 1738–1805 Ghazipur, India)
- Date: 1777–80
- Medium: Etching and engraving
- Dimensions: Plate: 7 1/2 × 4 15/16 in. (19 × 12.5 cm)
Sheet: 8 1/4 × 5 1/4 in. (21 × 13.3 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1983
- Object Number: 83.2.553
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.