The Spy Who Brought Surrender

on view September 2–December 4 / 2026

Williams Center Gallery · 317 Hamilton Street

Co-curated by student researchers Christopher Byrnes, Anna Glassic, and Alana Stevens.

This exhibition invites visitors into an immersive investigation of Jean-Baptiste Le Paon’s Lafayette at Yorktown. Co-curated by student researchers Christopher Byrnes, Anna Glassic, and Alana Stevens, the exhibition uses scientific X-ray scans, close looking, and historical research to reveal what lies beneath the painting’s surface. Through codes, ciphers, and visual clues, visitors will explore the connections between art, espionage, and the surrender at Yorktown. This exhibition offers a fresh look at a familiar historical moment and asks what new stories can emerge when we look more closely.

Jean-Baptiste Le Paon’s masterpiece, Lafayette in Yorktown