The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, or Tarring & Feathering 1830

David Claypoole Johnston created this print, *The Bostonians Paying the Excise-Man, or Tarring & Feathering,* sometime around 1830. It presents a scene dominated by strong diagonals that convey a sense of dynamic tension and disorder. The composition is structured around the act of tarring and feathering, where the stark contrast between the dark figures and the tarred-and-feathered man amplifies the brutality of the act. Johnston uses line and form to critique the social and political structures of his time, pointing to the breakdown of civility and order. The print engages with themes of power and resistance, using the visual language of caricature to undermine authority. It is a potent reminder of the complexities of the era, and the ways in which art can both reflect and shape cultural attitudes. It prompts us to consider how such visual representations can challenge, reinforce, or destabilize established meanings and values.