The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, or Tarring & Feathering

Attributed to Philip Dawe British

Publisher Robert Sayer and John Bennett British

October 31, 1774

Not on view

This pre-American Revolution satire published in London shows John Malcom, British customs agent in Massachusetts, tarred, feathered, and forced to drink tea. The event of January 24, 1774 occurred soon after the Boston Tea party of December 16, 1773 where colonists famously dumped imported tea into the harbor to protest a tax levied by the British Parliament. This is the earliest known representation of the later event with strong tonal contrasts and broad details produced by a worn printing plate.

Artwork Details

Title: The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, or Tarring & Feathering
Artist: Attributed to Philip Dawe (British, ca. 1745–1809?)
Publisher: Robert Sayer and John Bennett (British, active 1774–83)
Date: October 31, 1774
Medium: Mezzotint and etching
Dimensions: sheet: 14 x 10 1/8 in. (35.6 x 25.7 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Object Number: 83.2.180
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By Philip Dawe

In the same medium

From the same time and place

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The Patriotick Barber of New York, or the Captain in Suds, Philip Dawe British, Mezzotint — The Patriotick Barber of New York, or the Captain in Suds
Philip Dawe
Robert Sayer and John Bennett
February 14, 1775

The Patriotick Barber of New York, or the Captain in the Suds, Philip Dawe British, Mezzotint — The Patriotick Barber of New York, or the Captain in the Suds
Philip Dawe
Robert Sayer and John Bennett
February 14, 1775

The Bostonians in Distress, Philip Dawe British, Mezzotint — The Bostonians in Distress
Philip Dawe
Robert Sayer and John Bennett
November 19, 1774

The Alternative of Williams-Burg, Philip Dawe British, Mezzotint — The Alternative of Williams-Burg
Philip Dawe
Robert Sayer and John Bennett
February 16, 1775

A Society of Patriotic Ladies, at Edenton in North Carolina, Philip Dawe British, Mezzotint — A Society of Patriotic Ladies, at Edenton in North Carolina
Philip Dawe
Robert Sayer and John Bennett
March 25, 1775

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