Name/Title
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)Entry/Object ID
0000.0634Description
In 1778, French artist Jean-Antoine Houdon, the foremost portrait sculptor of his day, created a portrait bust of Benjamin Franklin, who had recently arrived in Paris as the primary envoy of the Continental Congress to France. Modeled without the benefit of formal sittings, Houdon relied on his memory of seeing Franklin around the city and at various events. This plaster cast of the bust was made in the early twentieth century by the Philadelphia-based Florentine Art Plaster Company, which maintained a gallery on Chestnut Street. It was listed in their 1914 catalogue for $10 (about $330 in 2026 dollars).
It was most recently installed in College Hall, near a window in the office of Penn’s provost. What might its proximity to seats of power tell us about Franklin’s legacy at Penn?Type of Sculpture
Free StandingMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
After Jean-Antoine HoudonAttribution
AfterRole
SculptorDate made
1914Notes
Original sculpture circa 1778Dimensions
Dimension Description
SizeHeight
24 inWidth
14 inDepth
9 inExhibition
2011.11: Double Take · Series, Multiples, and Prints from the University of Pennsylvania Collection