Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) c. 1746

Curator: Here we see Robert Feke’s portrait of Benjamin Franklin, painted in oil on canvas. It measures about 127 by 102 centimeters, and it resides here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is one of restrained ambition. The color palette is rather muted, giving the subject a grounded feel against the expansive landscape. Curator: Indeed. This was painted early in Franklin's career. Look at the sartorial choices and the somewhat generic landscape; it situates him within a context of colonial aspirations and identity formation. Editor: And the landscape itself suggests possibility, doesn’t it? Openness, potential. Combined with the almost legalistic black coat and curled wig, he's signaling his participation in a particular social order. Curator: I think you're right. He's using the visual language available to him, but he’s also subtly bending it to his own narrative, foreshadowing his rise. Editor: It’s a fascinating dialogue between the man and the symbols of his time. Curator: Absolutely, a moment captured right before he redefined those symbols.