The Alternative of WIlliams-Burg
February 16, 1775
Medium
Mezzotint
Dimensions
plate: 13 7/8 x 10 in. (35.2 x 25.4 cm) sheet: 15 15/16 x 11 1/2 in. (40.5 x 29.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.182
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1775 mezzotint, created by British artist Philip Dawe and published in London by R. S and J. Bennett, offers a vivid snapshot of colonial tensions on the eve of the American Revolution. Titled *The Alternative of Williams-B*, the print uses satire to explore the political dilemmas facing Virginians, portraying figures of men, women, and children caught between loyalty to the Crown and the pull of independence. Such works were popular in Britain as a means of commenting on distant colonial events, often exaggerating choices to sway public opinion back home. Mezzotint printing, the medium ...