ticketsMember | Make a donation

The Savages Let Loose, or the Cruel Fate of the Loyalists

Publisher William Humphrey British
1783
Not on view
This satire reflects the dissatisfaction of British loyalists at the end of the American Revolution. Military and civilian men are shown being murdered and strung up as trophies by Native peoples whose feathered headdresses and kilts echo traditional allegorical representations of America. The revengeful figures likely refer to the victorious Americans who, after winning the war in 1781, often confiscated the property of loyalists and also imprisoned and even attacked them. After the Peace of Paris in 1783, many loyalists received financial compensation from the British government.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Savages Let Loose, or the Cruel Fate of the Loyalists
  • Publisher: William Humphrey (British, 1742?–in or before 1814)
  • Published in: London
  • Date: 1783
  • Medium: Engraving
  • Dimensions: image: 8 1/2 x 13 1/4 in. (21.6 x 33.7 cm)
    sheet: 9 13/16 x 13 3/4 in. (24.9 x 35 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
  • Object Number: 83.2.1005
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
A Veiled Woman
Multiple artists/makers
January 1, 1772
The Pantheon in Oxford Street
Multiple artists/makers
January 20, 1772
A Vestal Virgin
Multiple artists/makers
December 1, 1770
George Vertue and Margaret his Wife, in the very Habits they were Married; February 17th Anno Domini 1720, From the Original Drawing in the Collection of the Right Honorable Lord Cardiff
Multiple artists/makers
August 12, 1784
General Washington, Valentine Green British, Mezzotint; first state of two
General Washington
Multiple artists/makers
January 15, 1781

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.