Benjamin Franklin: Portraits by Duplessis

Among the most iconic portraits of Benjamin Franklin is the one by Joseph Siffred Duplessis, Louis XVI’s official portraitist. Done in 1776 when Franklin arrived in Paris in search of France's support for the American Revolution, this portrait showed him in a red coat with a fur collar, and with an elaborate frame showcasing the Founding Father's attributes. Among the other highlights of this exhibit is a preliminary pastel, believed to have been done in 1777 or 1778, also by Duplessis, which was given to the New York Public Library in 1896.  For more information, visitmetmuseum.org.