Plaque Portrait of Benjamin Franklin

Art Historical Context

This intimate circular portrait captures Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s most celebrated Founding Fathers, in a compact format measuring just over five inches in diameter. Created sometime between 1776 and 1883, the work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, where it serves as a modest yet evocative tribute to Franklin’s enduring legacy as statesman, inventor, and diplomat during the nation’s formative years. Painted in oil on cardboard, the plaque format suggests it may have functioned as a portable keepsake or decorative medallion rather than a formal canvas. Such small-scale likenesses were popular in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, allowing admirers to carry or display images of revered figures like Franklin in their homes. The unknown artist’s choice of a humble support underscores the democratic spirit often associated with Franklin himself. Donated to the museum in 1883 by collector William H. Huntington, the portrait continues to offer visitors a tangible connection to Revolutionary-era America. Its presence in the American Wing highlights how even anonymous works contribute to our understanding of national identity and the ways citizens have honored their heroes across generations.