Art and Politics First Message of Change

Peace, Liberty and Independence (September 12—October 12, 2008) The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia marks the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1783, which formally ended the American Revolution and established sovereignty for the thirteen former American colonies, with a month-long exhibition of art and artifacts from the United States and France. The exhibition features paintings, watercolors, prints, documents and objects that demonstrate how visual art and language established a national aesthetic and influenced the outcome of the War for Independence. Works include Paul Reveres incendiary hand-colored engraving of the Boston Massacre, an event that became a catalyst for the Revolution and claimed the moral high ground for the colonials.