Portrait of Benjamin Franklin (Duplessis copy possibly by West)
Photo courtesy of The...
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Photo courtesy of The Franklin Institute, Inc.

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Oil on canvas; Framed: H. 30 in. (76.2 cm), W. 24 in. (61.0 cm), D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Frankliniana Collection, The Franklin Institute, Inc. (Philadelphia, Pa.), 58-10
The portrait of Franklin is derived from the original by Duplessis that depicted Franklin in a fur-collared and lined coat. Because Franklin's portrait by Duplessis was available for copying, artists were sent to it, even during Franklin's lifetime. When it was replicated in a print, it became the model for painted portraits. Those copied directly from the print can be recognized because the subject faces left instead of right.
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