The marquis de Lafayette’s farewell tour of the United States produced a staggering number of images of the general, from original oil portraits commissioned by government entities and wealthy individuals to prints mass produced for sale at public events. One of the lesser-known original works of art created during the tour is a watercolor portrait miniature of Lafayette painted by Charles Fraser during the general’s visit to Charleston, South Carolina, in March 1825. In the portrait Lafayette wears a distinctive example of the Society of the Cincinnati Eagle insignia that had been owned by George Washington. Members of the South Carolina branch of the Society of the Cincinnati participated prominently in the festivities for Lafayette in Charleston, marching in a procession that escorted the Frenchman to the City Hall on March 14, 1825, and hosting him for a dinner two days later—the same day Fraser painted this portrait miniature. Join the Institute’s deputy director and curator, Emily Parsons, for a discussion of this portrait, the Eagle pictured in it and Lafayette’s time in Charleston during his tour.
This program accompanies our current exhibition, Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic, on view through December 31, 2024. The portrait is on loan from the City of Charleston, South Carolina, for display in the exhibition.