09/30/2026
Zara Anishanslin, The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution
The war that we now call the American Revolution was not only fought in the colonies by soldiers with muskets and bayonets. On both sides of the Atlantic, artists also played an integral role in forging revolutionary ideals. In this clip, Zara Anishanslin relates inspiring stories and intertwined lives of three of these largely forgotten Patriot artists: Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright. They defied the British monarchy, armed with paint, canvas, wax, and espionage while risking their lives and reputations to support the cause of liberty.
Watch the full lecture for more and deeper stories about these artists and their impact on the American Revolution. https://youtu.be/xyKfwRj8cA8
Zara Anishanslin is Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware, where she also is Director of its Museum Studies and Public Engagement Program. She previously taught at CUNY and at Columbia and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of History at Johns Hopkins. Her new book, “The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution” (Harvard University Press, July 2025) has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal and made the 2026 Cundhill Prize in History Longlist.
