Samuel Adams
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Accession Number
NPG.80.108
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1774, silversmith and engraver Paul Revere created this striking print portrait of Samuel Adams, a fiery Massachusetts patriot and key agitator against British rule. Produced amid escalating tensions leading to the American Revolution, the image captures Adams as a "Continental congressman" and future signer of the Declaration of. Revere, renowned for his revolutionary propaganda like the Boston Massacre engraving, printmaking to disseminate patriotic imagery widely and affordably, making this work a vital tool for rallying colonial support. The portrait's decorative style blends portraitu...