News from America, or the Patriots in the Dumps
December 1, 1776
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
plate: 7 1/2 x 4 3/4 in. (19 x 12 cm) sheet: 8 1/4 x 5 1/8 in. (21 x 13 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Charles Allen Munn, 1924
Accession Number
24.90.1433
Tags
Art Historical Context
"News from America, or Patriots in the Dumps is a biting satirical engraving produced anonymously in Britain on December 1, 1776, amid the fervor of the American Revolution. title cleverly mocks American patriots, portraying them as dejected upon receiving discouraging news from the colonies—likely alluding to early British military successes that dashed rebel hopes. This small-scale print (plate: 7½ x 4¾ in.) captures men and in exaggerated expressions of dismay, embodying the era's sharp political cartoons that fueled transatlantic rivalries. As an engraving, a popular medium for mass-produ...