EXHIBITION: Pierre L'Enfant's Vision for the American Republic, January 18 – July 20, 2013

The French artist and engineer Pierre L'Enfant (1754-1825) made vital contributions to the early formation of the American nation and American identity. As a foreign volunteer in the Continental Army and, later, as a citizen of the new nation, L'Enfant created imagery that helped define the new American republic. During the Revolutionary War, L'Enfant's artistic talent caught the attention of General Steuben, who commissioned him to draw the illustrations for Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, the first official manual of the Continental Army. The Frenchman was appointed captain in the Continental Army Corps of Engineers and participated in the southern campaign, where he was wounded at the battle of Savannah and taken prisoner at Charleston.

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The French artist and engineer Pierre L'Enfant (1754-1825) made vital contributions to the early formation of the American nation and American identity. As a foreign volunteer in the Continental Army and, later, as a citizen of the new nation, L'Enfant created imagery that helped define the new American republic. During the Revolutionary War, L'Enfant's artistic talent caught the attention of General Steuben, who commissioned him to draw the illustrations for Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, the first official manual of the Continental Army. The Frenchman was appointed captain in the Continental Army Corps of Engineers and participated in the southern campaign, where he was wounded at the battle of Savannah and taken prisoner at Charleston.

 At the close of the war, L'Enfant became an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati and created three emblems of membership for the organization that became artistic expressions of the achievement of American independence. Remaining in America after the war, L'Enfant designed monuments, buildings, parades, and other patriotic events celebrating the new nation. His work culminated in the 1791 plan for Washington, D.C., a grand vision that would guide development of the American capital for the next century and beyond.

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