Philip King of Mount Hope

Art Historical Context

Behold the striking 1772 engraving *Philip King of Mount Hope by Paul Revere Jr a master American engraver and silversmith best known for his revolutionary-era works. This intimate portrait, measuring just 6 3/4 × 4 3/16 inches, captures Philip (also known as Metacom or King Philip), the sachem of the Wampanoags, in a dignified profile pose. Produced as a print in the and Prints department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflects Revere's skill in translating historical imagery into accessible, reproducible art. The subject holds profound historical weight: Philip led the Wampanoags and allied tribes in King Philip's War (1675–1676), a brutal conflict that reshaped colonial New England and marked one of the deadliest per capita wars in American history. Created nearly a century later, amid rising tensions before the American Revolution, Revere's engraving—possibly inspired by accounts from Thomas Church's contemporary history of the war—serves as both a memorial and a cautionary tale, romanticizing Native leadership while underscoring colonial narratives of conquest. Revere's meticulous engraving technique, using fine lines and cross-hatching for texture and depth, made this print a popular dissemination tool, bridging elite history with everyday audiences. Today, it invites reflection on Indigenous resilience and the complex legacies of early American encounters. (198 words)

About the Artist

Paul Revere Jr.|Philip, Sachem of the Wampanoags|Thomas Church · 1734–1818

Paul Revere Jr. (1734–1818), born in Boston's North End, was the son of French Huguenot silversmith Apollos Rivoire—also known as Paul Revere Sr.—and Deborah Hichborn, a member of a local artisan family. At age 13, he left school to apprentice under his father, mastering the intricate craft of silversmithing and engraving in the family shop, which he inherited upon his father's death in 1754. Reve...