Academy of the Fine Arts shows the art of war (Philadelphia)

From slogans of"taxation without representation" to paintings of noble patriots dying in battle for the greater good, words and images have long served as powerful tools to influence American public opinion during wartime.

A new exhibit at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts tracks the course of the second-longest conflict in U.S. history — the American Revolutionary War — and the ways art helped rally support for independence from the British and promote the values of the emerging republic.

A collaboration between the Pennsylvania Academy and the American Revolution Center, the exhibit includes about 50 examples of artwork, weapons, maps and artifacts from both organizations as well as private collectors, the Library of Congress and other institutions.