American Furniture, Folk and Decorative Arts

This portrait bears a number of striking similarities to the well-known 1762 Portrait of Benjamin Franklin by Mason Chamberlin, currently in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (1956-88-1). Though the Franklin shown in the present portrait is older, both works show the Founding Father in a study, seated on what appears to be the same chair before the same table, with a window at the upper right. In both works, Franklin wears a powdered wig with its distinctive center-front top knot and brown suit with covered buttons.  

In the present portrait, Franklin looks directly at the viewer, one hand holds his iconic spectacles, while the other rests on an open book. He is shown perhaps as a philosopher or a statesman. In the Museum's portrait, on the other hand, Franklin is depicted as a scientist. His head is turned as if observing an experiment, with one hand holding a quill pen and the other parchment. Scientific tools and instruments decorate the study while a lightning storm rages outside the window. 

Though the face of the sitter in the present portrait is more mature, the contours of his face, cleft chin, slightly hooded eyes, and creases above the nose and lips are consistent with his younger counterpart. These distinctive facial features of the older Franklin are also captured in sculptural busts dating from 1777 and 1778, by Claude Dejoix (French, 1725-1802) and Jean Antoine Houdon (French, 1741-1828), respectively. 

Through his diplomatic missions to England (1757-1775) and France (1776-1785) and the widespread popularity of his inventions–especially the lightning rod–Franklin achieved a global, celebrity-like status. As John Adams recorded, “Franklin's reputation was more universal than that of Leibnitz or Newton, Frederick or Voltaire, and his character more beloved and esteemed than any of them.” He was accordingly introduced to numerous prominent Continental Enlightenment figures, including Gaetano Filangieri (1753-1788), a jurist and philosopher from Naples, who corresponded with Franklin for eight years. 

Always fascinated with Italian culture, Franklin taught himself Italian, and his influence in Italy was profound. After a Calabrian city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1783, a new city was constructed and named Filadelphia in honor of Franklin and his hometown. Upon hearing about this city whose center was laid out in the manner of its American namesake, Franklin purportedly sent the founders a copy of the United States Constitution. Franklin's fame and influence in Italy continued well into the late 19th century. Major cities such as Rome and Milan named streets after him. For a comprehensive examination of the impact of Franklin on the political, social and economical aspects of Italian life and history from the 18th to the mid-20th century, see Antonio Pace Benjamin Franklin and Italy, 1958. It is not surprising that this portrait of Franklin found an appreciative home in Italy.