Magna Britannia: Her Colonies Reduced
When the Stamp Act passed on March 22, 1765, Franklin was in London serving as Pennsylvania’s colonial agent. He soon joined the lobbying effort for repeal of the new tax. In addition to testifying before Parliament, Franklin designed this image to print on cards and distribute to legislators. Britannia appears weeping and defenseless, her severed limbs symbolizing the discontented colonies—a warning about the possible fate of the nation’s trade-based empire.
Artwork Details
- Title: Magna Britannia: Her Colonies Reduced
- Designer: Benjamin Franklin (American, Boston 1706–1790 Philadelphia)
- Engraver: Anonymous, British, 19th century
- Date: 1833 [based on 1766 print]
- Medium: Etching and engraving
- Dimensions: Plate: 2 15/16 × 4 1/2 in. (7.5 × 11.5 cm)
Sheet: 5 1/8 × 8 1/2 in. (13 × 21.6 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
- Object Number: 83.2.759
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Top image after Benjamin Franklin (American, Boston 1706–1790 Philadelphia)
December 1768
Engraved, printed and sold by Paul Revere Jr. (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1734–1818 Boston, Massachusetts)
1770
Kara Walker (American, born Stockton, California, 1969)
2017
Asher Brown Durand (American, Jefferson, New Jersey 1796–1886 Maplewood, New Jersey)
1820–23
Bernard Romans (American, Delft, Holland 1720–1784 at sea)
ca. 1775
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.