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Primary sourcePainting1777 (bust); print later

Benjamin Franklin, after J. J. Caffieri

Jean-Jacques Caffieri · 1777 (bust); print later

A lithograph portrait of Benjamin Franklin in profile, based on a 1777 bust by Jean-Jacques Caffieri made while Franklin lived in Paris.

A profile portrait of Franklin from his time as a celebrated figure in Paris.

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Engraved portrait in profile facing left of an elderly bald man with long wavy hair at the back, wearing a dark coat and white cravat. Hatched shading surrounds the figure on a grey paper. Below are the captions 'Etched by Thomas Landseer', 'BENJAMIN FRANKLIN', 'Published by Hunt & Clarke, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden', and 'Transferred from Copper to Stone by C. Hullmandel'.
Lithograph by T. Landseer after J. J. Caffiéri, Benjamin Franklin, 1777.

About this source

What it is

This print shows Benjamin Franklin in profile, copied from a bust-based likeness made in 1777 by the French sculptor Jean-Jacques Caffieri. The print itself was etched later by Thomas Landseer and published by Hunt & Clarke. It is held by the Wellcome Collection in London.

Why it matters

The original bust was made while Franklin was a famous diplomat in Paris, where his image was in high demand. This later print shows how such portraits kept circulating long after they were first made, shaping how later generations pictured him.

Look closer

  • Why might a sculptor's bust become the basis for a printed portrait years later?
  • What does the profile view emphasise about Franklin's appearance?
  • What information is lost when a 3D sculpture becomes a flat print?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Benjamin Franklin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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