Benjamin Franklin
- Artist: Joseph Siffred Duplessis
- Date: 1778
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 28 in. x 22 1/2 in. (711 mm x 572 mm)
- Portrays: Benjamin Franklin
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This oil-on-canvas portrait shows Benjamin Franklin in a relaxed pose, head slightly turned, eyes direct. The canvas is about 28 inches tall and 22½ inches wide. Duplessis—who painted the original while Franklin was in Paris—keeps him simple and grounded: no wig, plain jacket. The background is unadorned, letting the figure stand alone. A brushstroke here hints at the canvas’ texture, while the warm undertones give a soft glow to his face.
Duplessis based this version on an earlier 1778 work; the artist used similar lighting and scale. The painting has long appeared on the American $100 bill, connecting it to the currency people know today. Franklin was a signer of the Declaration and later petitioned Congress for slavery’s abolition. Duplessis captures him as a “man of the people.”
See it in person
Benjamin Franklin is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
