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A man dressed in stereotypic Native American garments in the act of throwing a crate of tea ove…
The Boston Tea Party
A man dressed in stereotypic Native American garments in the act of throwing a crate of tea ove…
A man dressed in stereotypic Native American garments in the act of throwing a crate of tea over the side of a tall ship. Another figure with his back facing the viewer wields an axe.
The Boston Tea Party, Joseph Hirsch, 1975, lithograph on paper, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, © Estate of Joseph Hirsch.

The Boston Tea Party

Artist (American, 1910 - 1981)
Publisher (American)
Date1975
Mediumlithograph on paper
DimensionsImage: 27 3/4 × 19 inches (70.5 × 48.3 cm)
Sheet: 34 7/8 × 23 inches (88.6 × 58.4 cm)
Matted: 32 × 40 inches (81.3 × 101.6 cm)
Portfolio/SeriesKent Bicentennial portfolio, "Spirit of Independence"
Credit LineGift of Lorillard, a Division of Loew’s Theatres, Inc.
Object number1977.18
On View
Not on view
Copyright© Estate of Joseph Hirsch. The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws. Label TextJoseph Hirsch’s career was marked by his investment in the social realism and commentary of his work which is evident in 'The Bosten Tea Party' where he considers how the event had "the elements of wild paradox: what was outrageous vandalism two centuries ago, we today cherish nationally as a symbol of the free soul. The vigilant activism that has fed the spirit of our forebears is nowhere more tellingly expressed, in my judgment, than in the vents of that December night in Boston harbor." Hirsch studied under George Luks, a member of the “The Eight” in New York, a group of artists who rebelled against the National Academy of Design in 1908 and focused on gritty urban and figurative scenes. Hirsch learned from Luks’s depiction of the everyday. Hirsch worked for the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression and later as an artist-correspondent during World War II. Text written for the exhibition Spirit of Independence, July 1 - December 1, 2020.
Subject MatterBoston Harbor, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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