Who painted the American Revolution scene Surrender of Lord Cornwallis?

John Trumbull painted Surrender of Lord Cornwallis.

Trumbull’s oil painting depicts the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. The scene shows Charles O’Hara, representing Cornwallis, presenting a sword toward American General Benjamin Lincoln. George Washington appears among the American officers, while French officers stand on the other side of the British delegation.

Trumbull completed the painting in 1820 after developing the composition from sketches and studies. He had served as an aide to Washington during the Revolutionary War, giving him a personal connection to several subjects. Because Cornwallis did not attend the actual surrender ceremony, the painting does not show Cornwallis handing over a sword.

The painting hangs in the United States Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. It forms part of Trumbull’s series of large historical scenes commissioned to commemorate the country’s founding events.