Rochambeau Images

The following images of Rochambeau and his family, but only a few are believed to have been executed during his lifetime.
Probably the most famous image of Rochambeau is the statue, by the French sculptor M. Fernand Hamar, that has many replicas at the following locations: one stands in one corner of Lafayette Square, across from the White House in Washington, DC,; another in the Harbor of Newport, RI, (since 1934); one in King Park, New York City; and one in the square outside the Abbaye de la Trinité, in Vandôme;. The latter was destroyed by occupying forces in World War II, but has been replaced.
Painting by Charles Wilson Peale, executed 1782. Though there is every reason to believe that Peale could have executed the work from life, the facial features are puzzeling. Not only do they not reflect those of the various works executed by French artists, but they seem very similar to the features evidenced in Peale's paintings of George Washington. However, Peale keeps to his modest (and probably correct) rendition of the uniform for the period of the American Revolution.
Rochambeau, painting by unknown artist, at Vandôme; château. A modern work, which shows a rather young face for the period suggested by the uniform shown. He wears the full dress uniform coat [blue with extensive gold lace] of a French general,or even possilby a marshal (rank received in 1791). The probably accompanying red waistcoat and breeches are not shown. Across his coat runs the cordon bleu of the Order of the Saint-Esprit, which was awarded to him in 1783.
Rochambeau, painted by John Trumbull in his 'Surrender of Yorktown' at Yale University's Art Gallery [a copy is also in the US Capitol]. Some time after the war, in 1787, Trumbull traveled to France and sketched the various French participants in the American Revolution. The facial characteristics show these men at a later age than they were in the 1781 surrender ceremonies. Trumbull's work takes many liberties, showing some officers present at the surrender, when they were not [e.g., de Grasse remained on his ship]. In particular, Trumbull also tends to render some aspects of the uniforms in post Revolution fashions.
Rochambeau, painting is believed to be at Versailles, or in a French private collection. While none of the paintings of Rochambeau claim to be contemporary, there is an etching of this pose that claims to be 'after a life protrait'. Rochambeau wears the full dress uniform of a French general: a blue coat with much gold lace, a red waistcoat and breeches. Across his coat runs the cordon rouge of the Order of Saint Louis. There is no clear view of the probably accompanying embrodered 'star' that would be worn on the left side of his coat. This particular painting portrays the most credible facial features and uniform decorations for the period of Rochambeau's service in America.
Detail from a painting of the Siege of Yorktown by Louis van Blarenberghe (1785). The French artist executed two versions of the siege and of the Surrender of Yorktown. This detail here is from the particular version executed for Rochambeau, who requested that he be shown wearing a 'frull dress' uniform. The the initial version of the painting that was done for the king of France showed Rochambeau wearing the more likely 'field dress' -- white waistcoat and trousers. However, this contemporary work, though it is not detailed of the comte's face, seems to have influenced the pose adopted in M. Hamar's statue.
The Maréchal de Rochambeau, supposedly after the portrait by a contemporary artist, Duplessis. This copy belonging, in the early 20th century, to M. Roger Clausse.
Image taken from Rochambeau, Father and Son, by Jean-Edmond Weelen, trans. Lawrence Lee, New York, 1936. ()
Comtesse de Rochambeau, née Tellez d'Acosta.
Wife of the maréchal, after a pastel attributed to Maurice Quentin de Latour (Collection of the Château de Rochambeau). Image taken from Rochambeau, Father and Son, by Jean-Edmond Weelen (New York, 1936).
It appears that Yorktown was not the comte de Rochambeau's only great 'victory'. History fiction writers -- 'eat your hearts out!'
There is more than one painting of marshéal Rochambeau in this general pose. All are believed to have been executed after his death.
The Vicomte de Rochambeau, Son of the maréchal.
After an anonymous contemporary portrait. Collection of the Château de Rochambeau. Image taken from Rochambeau, Father and Son, by Jean-Edmond Weelen (New York, 1936).
The Rochambeau painting in the French Consular office, Newport News, Virginia. Artist not identified. This is suspected of being a modern work. The plaque worn on the left breast of his coat is not defined sufficiently for all viewers to distinguish the center imagery. However, the central figure certainly resembles a dove, which represents ‘The Holy Spirit', and not the king Saint-Louis. Further, the plaque ‘du Saint-Esprit' had a small globe at the end of each of its eight points; which ‘Saint-Louis' did not have.There are noticeably eight globes on the painting's plaque. The coloring suggests a gold tint, which would encourage the viewer to perceive the plaque to be gold', the color of the ‘St. Louis'. Given the other evidence, it appears that the artist was suggesting the reflection of the gold braid in the otherwise silver surface of the ‘St Esprit' decoration.
Rochambeau is wearing the ‘Cordon Rouge' of the ‘St. Louis' and not the ‘Cordon Bleu' of the ‘St. Esprit', the later honor having been received prior to his becoming a maréchal de France, and is generally described the higher honor. However, some question that the ‘St. Esprit' may have been considered as the ‘higher' distinction in all circumstances – particularly when having a portrait made.
The issue appears to be the distinction between ‘Orders of Chivalry' under the French Monarchy and an ‘Order of Merit' – the ‘St. Louis' being considered the first of the latter in France. The distinction is that the former usually required the recipient to have some degree of nobility and to be of a certain religious affiliation; the later honor was usually a reward for a meritorious accomplishment or performance in service of the state.* Otherwise, the two categories shared titles of ranks, types of insignia, and were generally given by sovereigns. In general, the Saint-Esprit [also known as the ‘Ordres du Roi' since 1724, when the ‘St. Esprit' was always conferred along with the much older ‘St. Michel' honor] is a pure chivalric order. Whereas, the ‘Saint Louis' was an order or merit, and mostly associated with military service. Further, there were conditions by which successive generations receiving the St. Louis would ensure nobility status to the family. Given this difference in emphasis, it is conceivable that Rochambeau would have wanted his portrait to reflect his receipt of the St. Louis.
* Though an order of merit, the ‘St. Louis' did require the recipient to be a Roman Catholic. For this reason, a complementary honor – the Mérite militaire – was created in 1759 for Protestant foreign officers serving in the French army. Both of these sovereign-granted honors for merit were abolished in the course of the French Revolution, but they were the inspiration for the Legion of Honor created by Bonaparte in 1802.

See François Velde's excellent webpage on "Orders of Chivalry in France" at http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/frorders.htm.

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Page created 23 August 2002; revised 12 April 2006.