Portrait Bust of Benjamin Franklin
Unknown Artist
1800–1883
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
Diam. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm)
Classification
Bust
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.225
Tags
Art Historical Context
This small stone medallion, titled *Portrait Bust of Benjamin Franklin*, offers a compact yet dignified tribute to one of America’s most celebrated Founding Fathers. Measuring just over three inches in diameter, the work captures Franklin in profile—a format popular for coins, medals, and commemorative reliefs throughout the nineteenth century. Carved from stone, the piece emphasizes durability and permanence, qualities that align with Franklin’s lasting contributions to science, diplomacy, and American independence. Created sometime between 1800 and 1883, the portrait is posthumous, reflecti...