Profile Bust of Benjamin Franklin
ca. 1775
Medium
Wax, glass, wood, paper
Dimensions
6 3/8 x 5 1/4 in. (16.2 x 13.3 cm)
Classification
Bust, miniature
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Glenn Tilley Morse Collection, Bequest of Glenn Tilley Morse, 1950
Accession Number
50.187.72
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 18th-century portraiture withProfile Bust of Benjamin Franklin by Patience Wright, created around 1775. This intimate wax relief captures the profile of the iconic Founding Father, statesman, inventor at a pivotal moment—just as the American Revolution ignited. Wright, first professional sculptor and a self-taught "wax wizard," gained fame for her lifelike modeling, which bridged fine art and popular commemoration during turbulent times. Crafted from wax, glass, wood, and paper this petite bust (just over 6 inches tall) exemplifies the era's wax portrait tradition. Wax ...