The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists who Championed the American Revolution; Author Talk and Book Signing 

Saturday, July 26 | 2:00–4:00p.m. |  Little Theater (Book Signing to Follow in Libbey Court)

3:15 p.m. Celebratory Champagne Toast 
3:20 p.m. Book Signing in Libbey Court

Step into the founding era through the eyes of artists who shaped the ideals of American independence. Join us for a special lecture with historian Zara Anishanslin, followed by a book signing and a celebratory champagne toast in Libbey Court.  

In her newly published book, The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution, Anishanslin uncovers the intertwined lives of three bold figures Robert Edge Pine, Prince Demah, and Patience Wright. Using their artistic talents to defy the monarchy and spread revolutionary ideas. From London to Boston, from Jamaica to Paris, these artists challenged convention and helped shape a new political identity for the emerging nation. 

Though largely left out of military and political leadership, these creatives took up tools of their own: paint, wax, and canvas. Pine, a British artist rumored to be of African descent, ultimately immigrated to the United States to pursue his vision. Demah, the first known enslaved portrait painter in America, self-emancipated and enlisted in the Continental Army. Wright, a wax sculptor from Long Island, was a celebrated figure in London who used her fame to support the Patriot cause, often while passing along political intelligence. 

Together, their work and lives offer a striking window into a transatlantic world filled with risk, vision, and revolutionary ambition. Anishanslin’s talk will blend art history and storytelling to reframe how we understand the American Revolution and those who shaped it with their creativity. 

After the lecture, join us in Libbey Court to have your copy of the book signed by the author and to raise a glass in celebration of The Painter’s Fire. The champagne toast will be available in limited quantities and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Zara Anishanslin is Associate Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware and author of the award-winning Portrait of a Woman in Silk: Hidden Histories of the British Atlantic World. She has served as a historical consultant for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Hamilton: The Exhibition.