Benjamin Franklin c. 1778

Jean-Honoré Fragonard created this brown wash on paper portrait of Benjamin Franklin in France, sometime in the late 18th century. It’s an interesting encounter between the French Rococo style and a leading figure of the American Enlightenment. Franklin was in France at the time, seeking support for the American Revolution. The French, with their own grievances against the British, embraced Franklin as a symbol of liberty. Fragonard, known for his lighthearted and sensual paintings, here captures Franklin with a surprising degree of gravitas, yet the soft, fluid lines of the wash retain a certain elegance fitting of the French court. The image subtly challenges the conventions of portraiture at the time. Instead of depicting Franklin in aristocratic finery, Fragonard presents him with a more subdued appearance, befitting a man of science and revolution. To understand this piece fully, one would want to research the cultural exchange between France and America during this revolutionary period. The portrait serves as a reminder that art is always shaped by the social and political context in which it is created and viewed.