Statuett
Unknown Artist
1800–1883
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm)
Classification
Statuette
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.188
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant bronze statuette, titledStatuett*, captures iconic profile of Benjamin Franklin, one of America's most revered Founding Fathers. Standing at 9 1/4 inches (23.5 cm) high, it exemplifies 19th-century portraiture in miniature form, likely produced between 1800 and 1883 by an unknown artist. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing and gifted by William H. Huntington in1883, the piece reflects the era's fascination with Franklin's legacy as a statesman, inventor, and polymath. Bronze, a durable and prestigious medium, allowed for intricate casting techniques that pres...