# William Penn's Treaty with the Indians (Furnishing Fabric)

- By: John Boydell (England)
- Date: c. 1800
- Medium: Cotton, plain weave; copperplate printed
- Classification: Textile
- Dimensions: 106.3 × 69.1 cm (41 7/8 × 29 1/4 in.); Warp repeat: H.: 82.4 cm (32 1/2 in.)
- Culture: England
- Credit line: Textile Purchase Fund
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/31473)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/7cef24b0-42d6-fad6-836e-560dce9bcdc0/full/!1716,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

The panel was adapted by an unknown engraver from a print by John Hall published by John Boydell in London in 1775. The Hall print is after a painting of the same subject by Benjamin West (1738- 1826) dating from 1771/1772, now in Independence Hall, Philadelphia. William Penn (1644- 1718) was a prominent English Quaker leader and the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was a friend any ally of the Indians and purchased land from them at a fair price. The "treaty" depicted by Benjamin West was not an actual event-- no documents were ever signed. However, in 1683 Penn did meet with the Indians to declare peace.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0