Lafayette image to grace inside of courthouse

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Steve Keenan

September 17, 2007

By Steve Keenan

FAYETTEVILLE — His likeness boldly surveys the exterior of the historic Fayette County Courthouse, so it’s only fitting that an image of the Marquis de Lafayette will be on display inside the walls of the stately building.

The Fayette County Historic Landmark Commission has paid for a print of an oil painting of the statesman for whom Fayette County was named in 1831 and will soon hang the painting in the main hallway of the courthouse. Three years ago this month, the commission realized a long-held dream when a Lafayette statue was placed on the courthouse lawn.

“We had the statue outside, so we thought it would be good to put him inside, too,” said Danny Wright, chairman of the FCHLC. Other members of the group include Pat Wendell, Ann Skaggs and Ron Alexander. The commission bought the print, had it framed and presented it to the Fayette County Commission last week.

The painting was done by Joseph Desiré Court (1796-1865), an obscure artist who did most of his work in Paris. The painting captures Lafayette as a lieutenant general in 1791.

According to www.wikipedia.org, Lafayette was a French military officer and former aristocrat who participated in both the American and French revolutions. He served in the American Revolutionary War both as a general and a diplomat. Later, he was a key figure in the early phases of the French Revolution.

“It took me days to find out who the artist was,” said Wright of the image of Lafayette which will grace the courthouse walls. “This particular painting first appeared in the United States in the Journal of American History in 1910. Now, you can find the print everywhere.”

The image is on the cover of a new book about Lafayette’s 250th birthday.