Learn How Two Revolutions Intertwined
Discover one of George Washington’s prized possessions during its three-month return to Mount Vernon.
Destruction of the Bastille is a rare ink wash created in real time by Étienne-Louis-Denis Cathala, one of the engineers overseeing the prison’s destruction. It depicts stonemasons and other laborers atop the prison’s walls, tearing down the edifice.
This 18th-century artwork was gifted to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette, along with the historic Key to the Bastille. Both are currently on view in the Museum.
The drawing and the key were originally displayed in the central passage of Washington's home. Together, these objects symbolize Lafayette’s admiration of Washington and his role in sparking France's path to liberty and democracy.
The Destruction of the Bastille is generously on loan to Mount Vernon from the private collection of The Honorable Nicholas Taubman, a native Virginian and the former U.S. Ambassador to Romania.
