Cameo with Portrait of Benjamin Franklin
Late 18th century
Medium
Stoneware (jasperware)
Dimensions
2.7 × 2.2 × 0.8 cm (1 1/16 × 7/8 × 5/16 in.)
Classification
cameo (sculpture)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67927
Art Historical Context
This exquisite cameo, produced by the renowned Wedgwood Manuf in the late 18 century, captures the likeness of Benjamin Franklin in finely sculpted white relief against a deep blue jasperware background. Measuring just 2.7 × 2.2 × 0.8 cm, this tiny stoneware sculpture exemplifies Josiah Wedgwood's revolutionary, which mimicked the ancient Roman cameos prized by collectors during the Neoclassical revival. Wedgwood's jasperware, an unglazed fine stoneware developed in the 1770s, allowed for intricate, matte-surfaced portraits that echoed classical gems but were produced in multiples for a wider...
About the Artist
Wedgwood Manufactory
Wedgwood Manufactory, founded on 1 May 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, revolutionized ceramics during the Industrial Revolution. Born into a family of potters, Josiah apprenticed under his elder brother Thomas at the Churchyard Works from age 14, mastering traditional techniques before partnering with Thomas Whieldon from 1754 to 1759, where he honed innovative glazes. ...