Charles Lee
Engraving, 1780
Frame: 12¼ x 9½ inches; sight: 6 x 3¾ inches
 
An engraved portrait of Charles Lee, issued during the later years of the American Revolutionary War. Such prints formed part of a broader transatlantic effort to document and disseminate the likenesses of prominent military figures engaged in the American conflict.
 
Lee, a seasoned professional soldier with prior service in the British Army, occupied a prominent role in the early Continental command structure. His career, however, was marked by tension and controversy, most notably in relation to his conduct at the Battle of Monmouth and his subsequent court-martial following disputes with George Washington. Though once regarded as a capable and experienced officer, these events significantly shaped his historical reputation.
Engravings of Lee from this period offer a contemporary visual record of one of the Revolution’s more complex and contentious figures.
 
Condition: Very fine.