Portrait of Benjamin Franklin
Medium
Engraving on chine collé
Dimensions
Image (portrait and frame): 4 in. × 7 1/16 in. (10.2 × 18 cm) Sheet: 10 5/8 × 6 7/8 in. (27 × 17.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William Henry Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.2024(38)
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures Benjamin Franklin in a dignified pose, based on a celebrated portrait by the French artist Joseph Siffred Duplessis. Created between 1780 and 1820 as an engraving on chine collé, the print allowed Franklin’s image to reach a broad audience during a pivotal era of American and European history. Duplessis, known for his refined neoclassical portraits, depicted Franklin during his years as a diplomat in France, where the statesman’s distinctive fur cap and thoughtful expression became iconic symbols of Enlightenment ideals and revolutionary spirit. The choice of engraving...
About the Artist
Benjamin Franklin|Joseph Siffred Duplessis (American|French) · 1706 |1725 –1790 |1802
American, 1706–1790|French, Carpentras 1725–1802 Versailles