Benjamin Franklin
1800–1883
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
Diam. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Classification
Plate
Culture
French
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.276
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking faience portrait captures Benjamin Franklin, the American statesman, inventor, and diplomat, rendered in a circular format measuring just under ten inches across. Created by the French artist Joseph Siffred Duplessis and now housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, the piece reflects the deep cultural and political ties between France and the young United States during and after the Revolutionary era. Duplessis, celebrated for his sensitive portrayals of Enlightenment figures, originally painted Franklin in oil; this ceramic version translates that likeness into durable...