British Surrender at Yorktown, 1781 by Oscar De Mejo is a vibrant and stylized depiction of the British surrender to American and French forces, marking the beginning of the end of the Revolutionary War. Completed in 1974, the painting offers an opportunity to explore how history is remembered and interpreted and how our identity impacts how we see the past. Much of De Mejo’s work romanticizes the American Revolution. De Mejo’s signature colorful, surrealist, and naïve art style lightens the formality of the historical moment, using bright colors and exaggerated figures like General George Washington and Lord Cornwallis. While the painting captures the significance of the event, it offers a celebratory and imaginative interpretation, blending history with a whimsical artistic approach.