Ralph Earl's American Revolution propaganda drawings

Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Plate I The battle of Lexington, April 19th. 1775. The Doolittle engravings of the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Amos Doolittle (engraver) and Ralph Earl

Massachusetts-born painter Ralph Earl (1751-1801) was known primarily for his portraits. By 1774, he was working in New Haven, Connecticut, as a portrait painter. In 1775, Earl visited Lexington & Concord, which were the sites of recent battles between the colonists & the British. Working in collaboration with the engraver Amos Doolittle, Earl drew 4 battle scenes that were used as pro-Revolutionary propaganda prints.  As it turned out, although his father was a colonel in the Revolutionary army, Earl himself was apparently a Loyalist.  In 1778, he  escaped to England by disguising himself as the servant of British army captain John Money.  These prints are at the New York City Public Library.

Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Plate II A view of the town of Concord The Doolittle engravings of the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Amos Doolittle (engraver) and Ralph Earl


Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Plate III The engagement at the North Bridge in Concord The Doolittle engravings of the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Amos Doolittle (engraver) and Ralph Earl


Ralph Earl (American artist, 1751-1801) Plate IV A view of the south part of Lexington The Doolittle engravings of the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Amos Doolittle (engraver) and Ralph Earl