The Victory Ball, 1781

General George Washington is shown dancing with Mrs. Henry Willis of Fredericksburg while his mother, looking rather grim, is seated at left. This fanciful painting was created by Philadelphia artist Jean Leon Gerome Ferris in the early twentieth century. Titled The Victory Ball, 1781, this scene supposedly took place in the wake of the French and American victory at Yorktown. Though Washington loved to dance, and attended many balls during the American Revolution, it is highly unlikely that he attended such a victory celebration, as his stepson, John "Jacky" Parke Custis, had contracted typhoid fever at Yorktown and died suddenly.