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Primary sourcePainting1826

Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette

Samuel Finley Breese Morse · 1826

A full-length oil portrait of Lafayette painted by Samuel Morse in 1826, showing him as an elder statesman.

A formal full-length portrait of Lafayette painted by Morse, who knew him personally during his American tour.

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Full-length oil painting of a standing man in a black tailcoat, white waistcoat and cream trousers, with a red cloak over one shoulder, one hand resting on a red pedestal beside a bust. Stormy sky, checkered marble floor, stone balustrade.
Samuel F. B. Morse, Portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, 1826.

About this source

What it is

This full-length oil painting shows a standing man in a black tailcoat and red cloak, resting one hand near a pedestal with a bust, with a marble floor and stormy sky behind him. It was painted in 1826 by Samuel Finley Breese Morse, who had met Lafayette during his American visit.

Why it matters

This formal, full-length composition reflects how Americans wanted to remember and honor Lafayette as a hero of their Revolution, decades after the war itself. The grand setting and pose show the respect given to him in his old age.

Look closer

  • What might the bust beside him represent, and why include it in the painting?
  • How does the setting (columns, marble floor, stormy sky) shape the mood of the portrait?
  • What is missing from this formal image about Lafayette's actual experiences?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Marquis de Lafayette on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Painted allegory of the 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. A title plaque reads 'Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen' above two tablets of text. A seated woman with chains and a standing winged figure with a wand flank the plaque, under a radiant eye in a triangle.Document

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Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

National Constituent Assembly · 1789

Scan of a handwritten two-column manuscript on aged, browned paper. The left column is in English under the heading 'Treaty of Alliance', and the right column is in French under 'Traité d'alliance eventuelle et défensive'. The text opens by naming the Most Christian King and the United States of North America.Document

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Treaty of Alliance with France

6 February 1778

Engraving of a man's head and shoulders in a high-collared coat and cravat, above a handwritten manuscript certificate signed by Lafayette dated November 21, 1784, attesting to James's service as a spy.Document

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Certificate for James Armistead Lafayette

Marquis de Lafayette · 21 November 1784

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Lafayette's Oath of Allegiance

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette · 9 June 1778

Handwritten manuscript page numbered 80, dated April 1788 at top, in cursive ink on ruled paper. Text discusses constitutional ratification, amendments, and a Bill of Rights and trial by jury. Bound volume edge visible on left.Letter

Primary source

Letter from George Washington to Lafayette, 28 April 1788

George Washington · 28 April 1788

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