The Boston Massacre

Amerikanische Grafik 1765–1814, 1770

Printed with black lines and shading and then painted, a row of seven red-uniformed soldiers to the right fire rifles into a crowd of dozens in a town square in this vertical engraving. The soldiers are led by an eighth behind the line, who raises a sword. Blood gushes from wounded people to the left, who wear clothing in shades of marine and sky blue and brick red. A small brown dog stands near one dead person along the bottom of the composition, and two- and three-story buildings enclose the rectangular square behind the action. The sky is tinted blue along the top of the print, and a crescent moon is in the top left corner. An inscription near the dog in the image reads, “Engrav’d Printed & Sold by Paul Revere Boston.” Printed text over the image reads, “The Bloody Massacre perpetuated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.” Three columns of text below read, “Unhappy Boston! See thy Sons deplore, They hallowed Walks besmear’d with guiltless Gore. While faithless P—n and his savage Bands, With murd’rous Rancour stretch their bloody Hands; Like fierce Barbarainas grinning o’er their Prey, Approve the Carnage and enjoy the Day. If sealding drops from Rage from Anguish Wrung, If speeches Sorrows lab’ring for a Tongue, Or if a weeping World can ought appease, The plaintive Ghosts of Victims such as these; The Patriot’s copious Tears for each are shed, A glorious Tribute which embalms the Dead. But know, Fat summons to that awful Goal, Where Justice strips the Murd’rer of his Soul: Should venal C—ts the scandal of the Land, Snatch the relentless Villain from her Hand, Keen Execrations on this Plate inscribed, Shall reach a Judge who never can be brib’d.” Cursive printed script below reads, “The unhappy Sufferers were Sam’l Gray, Sam’l Maverick, Jam’s Caldwell, Crispus Attacuks & Pat’k Carr Killed. Six wounded, two of them (Christ’r Monk and John Clark) Mortally.”
Artista
Amerikanische Grafik 1765–1814
Datazione
1770
Tipologia
Stampa
Tecnica
engraving with hand coloring on laid paper
Dimensioni
20 × 21,91 cm
Collezione
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licenza
Pubblico dominio, CC0

Descrizione dell’immagine

Printed with black lines and shading and then painted, a row of seven red-uniformed soldiers to the right fire rifles into a crowd of dozens in a town square in this vertical engraving. The soldiers are led by an eighth behind the line, who raises a sword. Blood gushes from wounded people to the left, who wear clothing in shades of marine and sky blue and brick red. A small brown dog stands near one dead person along the bottom of the composition, and two- and three-story buildings enclose the rectangular square behind the action. The sky is tinted blue along the top of the print, and a crescent moon is in the top left corner. An inscription near the dog in the image reads, “Engrav’d Printed & Sold by Paul Revere Boston.” Printed text over the image reads, “The Bloody Massacre perpetuated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.” Three columns of text below read, “Unhappy Boston! See thy Sons deplore, They hallowed Walks besmear’d with guiltless Gore. While faithless P—n and his savage Bands, With murd’rous Rancour stretch their bloody Hands; Like fierce Barbarainas grinning o’er their Prey, Approve the Carnage and enjoy the Day. If sealding drops from Rage from Anguish Wrung, If speeches Sorrows lab’ring for a Tongue, Or if a weeping World can ought appease, The plaintive Ghosts of Victims such as these; The Patriot’s copious Tears for each are shed, A glorious Tribute which embalms the Dead. But know, Fat summons to that awful Goal, Where Justice strips the Murd’rer of his Soul: Should venal C—ts the scandal of the Land, Snatch the relentless Villain from her Hand, Keen Execrations on this Plate inscribed, Shall reach a Judge who never can be brib’d.” Cursive printed script below reads, “The unhappy Sufferers were Sam’l Gray, Sam’l Maverick, Jam’s Caldwell, Crispus Attacuks & Pat’k Carr Killed. Six wounded, two of them (Christ’r Monk and John Clark) Mortally.”

Amerikanische Grafik 1765–1814