Portraits & Paintings

Dominating the north wall of the Old Senate Chamber is a large painting by the French artist Eugene-Louis Lami showing an American attack on a British redoubt at Yorktown in October 1781. That same month British General Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington and America won its national independence on the fields of Virginia. The painting was a gift to the Commonwealth in 1878 from Virginia-born philanthropist William Corcoran.

Storming of a British Redoubt by American Troops at Yorktown by Eugene Louis Lami

The Arrival of the First Permanent English Settlers off Jamestown Island, May 13, 1607 by Griffith Baily Coale

On the east wall of the Old Senate Chamber is a painting by Griffith Baily Coale showing the three ships (Susan Constant, Discovery and Godspeed) that landed at Jamestown ascending the James River in 1607. The painting was authorized by the General Assembly with public funds to pay tribute to the 104 settlers who established the first successful English settlement in the New World. This painting was utilized in 2007 as the image for a First Class U.S. postage stamp commemorating the 400th anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown.

Thomas Jefferson by George Catlin

The Jefferson Room contains a large full-length portrait of Thomas Jefferson painted in the 1820’s by George Catlin, who copied an original portrait by Thomas Sully on display at West Point.

The 3rd Floor of the State Capitol is adorned with portraits of Virginia’s former Governors. The portraits are arranged chronologically with the most recent former Governor’s portrait located just to the right of the Governor’s Office door and continuing around the hall. The portraits are rotated as a new Governor’s portrait is added. The current rotation of portraits on display is shown below.