The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University has opened two linked exhibitions, 'Defying Empire' and 'After the Empire,' to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 'Defying Empire' features a modest collection of 18th-century prints depicting battles, portraits, and political commentary, including works by Irish artist John Brooks and artifacts like pro-Wilkes ceramics. The exhibition explores the complexities and contradictions of the revolutionary era, from anti-French propaganda to the brutal treatment of Loyalists, and concludes with an idyllic print of George Washington's Mount Vernon that omits its reliance on enslaved labor.
This exhibition matters because it engages with the contested meaning of the American Revolution at a moment when national narratives are under scrutiny. By pairing historical prints with a contemporary collection of political and social commentary prints (1862-2017) in 'After the Empire,' the Haggerty Museum invites visitors to consider how revolutions and their legacies are remembered, simplified, or mythologized. The show's nuanced approach—acknowledging the messy, conflicted nature of history—offers a timely counterpoint to polarized debates about the nation's founding.