To Thomas Jefferson from John Francis Renault, 20 November 1803
From John Francis Renault
Blandfort près Petersburg en Virginie
le 20 novembre 1803.
Monsieur le Président,
Depuis 3 ans entiers je travaille au crayon fin un tableau historique et allégorique qui aura pour titre,
Les Anglais rendant les Armes au Général Washington Commandant en Chef L’armée Américaine et Française, après leur défaite à york &a.
Il ne m’appartient point de faire à votre Caractère l’éloge de cet ouvrage, un Auteur a pour soi de l’indulgence, mais si des Personnes de gout et de distinction m’honorent de leur visite, et me disent toutes que la Dédicace n’en convienne qu’à vous seul, c’est qu’elles ont plus de confiance en la générosité avec laquelle vous encouragez les Arts et les Sciences, que dans le mérite de mes talents.
Les Grands hommes effectivement, Monsieur, se plurent dans tous les tems à donner leur protection aux Sçavans et aux Artistes habiles: Les Amphictyons portèrent un décret solemnel qui obligeait la Gréce en général à défrayer Polygnote célébre peintre de ses dépenses hospitalieres partout où il passerait; Les fameux Auteurs de L’Enéïde, et des Métamorphoses s’acquirent l’estime D’Auguste et de Mécene; L Empereur Charles V, disait à le Titien (qui avait laissé tomber un pinceau en peignant ce prince et que celui ci lui ramassa) qu’il était digne d’etre servi par César; Pierre le Grand Czar de Moscovie, Louis XIV &a. se rendirent magnanimes par la fondation d’illustres Académies et Institutions et par l’accueil favorable qu’ils firent aux Etrangers éclairés.
Conséquemment il serait d’un heureux augure pour moi de vous offrir la dédicace de mon ouvage, s’il avait quelque rapport à la sublimité de leurs travaux admirables, puisque s’il obtenait votre approbation, ce serait le mettre sous la bienveillance d’un homme dont le Génie profond et l’amour de la Sagesse l’ont élevé à la plus haute dignité; mais cette production est médiocre, et ne peut vous étant présentée me laisser d’autre espoir qu’elle vous sera agréable, que dans votre bonté et affection pour les artistes inférieurs.
Ce sera donc, Monsieur le Président à vos Vertus, si vous voulez bien le permettre que je dédierai ce faible tribut de mon respectueux hommage, qui paraissant en public sous vos Auspices acquerra le titre le plus recommandable, et si mes vœux s’accomplissent la main des Parques, pour le bonheur de l’humanité, enchainera si bien vos jours d’un tissu de roses, qu’ils seront toujours à leur printems.
Je Suis très profondément, Monsieur le Président, Votre très humble Et très obéissant Serviteur
Jn. Fis. Renault
P.S. J’aurai l’honneur incessamment de vous présenter ce tableau dont le prospectus est ci inclus; pour cet effet j’attends, Monsieur le Président la faveur de votre Réponse afin de le terminer et le mettre sous verre.
Editors’ Translation
Blandford, near Petersburg, Virginia
20 Nov. 1803
Mr. President,
For three full years I have been drawing a historical and allegorical tableau entitled The British Surrendering to General Washington, Commander in Chief of the French and American Army, After their Defeat at Yorktown, etc.
It is not my role to praise this work to you, since a creator is always biased. If people of taste and distinction honor me with their visits and tell me that you are the only person to whom the work can rightfully be dedicated, their words speak less about my talent than about their confidence in the generosity with which you encourage the arts and sciences.
In all eras, Sir, great men have taken pleasure in protecting talented scholars and artists. The Amphictyons solemnly decreed that everyone in Greece should defray the expenses of the famous painter Polygnotus wherever he traveled. The famous authors of the Aeneid and the Metamorphoses earned the esteem of Augustus and Maecenas. When Titian dropped a brush while painting a portrait of Charles V, the emperor himself picked it up, telling him that Titian was worthy of being served by Caesar. Peter the Great, czar of Russia, Louis XIV, and others showed magnanimity in founding famous academies and institutions and welcoming enlightened foreigners.
If my tableau were in the same league with these artists’ sublime works, I would happily dedicate it to you, for the approval of a man of profound genius and love of wisdom would give it prestige. But since my work is mediocre, I can only hope that in your generosity and affection toward inferior artists, you will look kindly on it.
For this reason, Mr. President, if you permit, I will dedicate this modest tribute of my respectful homage to your moral qualities. When it appears in public under your auspices, it will become worthy. And if my wishes are fulfilled, the fates will envelop your days in a net of roses so you will have an eternal springtime, for the happiness of humanity.
I am, Mr. President, most sincerely, your very humble and obedient servant.
Jn. Fis. Renault
P.S. Very soon I shall have the honor of presenting the tableau to you. The prospectus is attached. I await the favor of your reply to finish it and install the glass.
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 25 Nov. and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: “Prospectus d’un Tableau historique et Allégorique,” a work that will depict on one side the Goddess of Liberty crushed by a chariot driven by tyrants and enemies of the people; on the other side will be a monument to American heroes who shed their blood to defend their country; in the center will be an urn holding the ashes of illustrious men such as Montgomery, Franklin, Warren, Mercer, Greene, Laurens, Hancock, and others; around the grave, three deities, representing the ideals of justice, peace, and prosperity that Americans fought for, will trample on symbols such as crowns, scepters, crosses, and spears; the image will also depict prominent leaders and officers and will show Lord Cornwallis surrendering his sword to George Washington; the subscription price is $12 for the unframed picture, with $1 as a down payment and the remainder due upon delivery; under the title Renault wrote “Dedié à” (dedicated to), followed by a blank (MS in same; in French; in Renault’s hand, signed).
John Francis Renault had been a secretary and engineer with the Comte de Grasse’s fleet at Yorktown and performed similar roles with other French squadrons before that. He also at one time held a staff position with French military forces in Saint-Domingue. His best-known artistic work was “The Triumph of Liberty,” an engraved print, published in New York, of an allegorical scene that honored the American Revolution. He sold that work by subscription beginning in 1796. In 1804, Renault filed for copyright and printed a prospectus (in English) of his picture of the Yorktown surrender, which he intended to call “The Siege of York.” In 1815 and 1816, he published notices in newspapers to explain to subscribers why the plate for the printing was still unfinished. When the print did appear in 1819, it had the title “The British Surrendering their Arms to Gen: Washington after their defeat at York Town in Virginia October 1781.” In 1825, Renault published a copy of a 1782 map of the Yorktown siege by Sebastian Bauman and dedicated it to Lafayette (George C. Groce and David H. Wallace, The New-York Historical Society’s Dictionary of Artists in America, 1564-1860 [New Haven, 1957], 531; Newburyport Impartial Herald, 15 Jan. 1796; New York Argus, 15 Apr., 6 Dec. 1796; National Intelligencer, 11 Apr. 1804; Baltimore Patriot, 20, 23 Dec. 1816; Prospectus of an Historical and Allegorical Picture, Entitled, The Siege of York; or, The British Surrendering Their Arms to General Washington, After their Defeat at York-Town, in Virginia, in the Month of October, 1781 [n.p., 1804], , No. 7168; Plan of York Town in Virginia and Adjacent Country [Philadelphia, 1825]; E. McClung Fleming, “From Indian Princess to Greek Goddess: The American Image, 1783-1815,” Winterthur Portfolio, 3 [1967], 55-6; Bernard F. Reilly, Jr., American Political Prints, 1766-1876: A Catalog of the Collections in the Library of Congress [Boston, 1991], 7-8).