Charles Willson Peale based this 1787 mezzotint engraving on his 1781 oil portrait of the young French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), who traveled to the American colonies to join the fight for independence. Painted for his gallery, Peale’s portrait was a smaller version of a picture commissioned by George Washington, who regarded Lafayette as a son.

Having learned the art of engraving in London, Peale hoped to gain attention and profit from prints of his portraits of admired public figures. He speculated that the market for inexpensive, small, portable engravings would compensate him for the "time and labour in making my Collection of Portraits." Ultimately, Peale’s extensive gallery of oil portraits included unique likenesses of the major participants engaged in the American Revolution and the creation of the new nation.