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Ready-Aim from the portfolio Boston Massacre
Ready-Aim from the portfolio Boston Massacre
Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion

Ready-Aim from the portfolio Boston Massacre

Artist (American, 1923–2002)
Date1970
MediumScreenprint with embossing and collage on paper
DimensionsSheet: 19 1/8 x 27 5/8 inches (48.6 x 70.2 cm)
ClassificationsPrint
Credit LineGift of C.N.L. Properties
Object number1979.36.6
Collections
  • ART OF THE UNITED STATES
  • MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
  • WORKS ON PAPER
Edition150
State103
Label TextRecognized as the “Godfather of Pop Art,” Larry Rivers often infused Pop elements into his many depictions of historical world events. This series is based on the Boston Massacre, a 1770 conflict in which British army soldiers fired muskets into a crowd of American colonists, killing five civilians. The prints’ bold, neon highlights and backgrounds contrast greatly with their violent content, creating incongruous imagery. Produced on the event’s bicentennial, this series of prints connects a seminal moment in American history with ongoing struggles for freedom within the United States, including the Civil Rights era and the Vietnam War.