B. Franklin of Philadelphia - L.L.D. F.R.S. / B. Wilson pinxt. ; Js McArdell fecit. – Historic Print
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
Step back in time with B. Franklin of Philadelphia - L.L.D. F.R.S. / B. Wilson pinxt. ; Js McArdell fecit., a historic print rich in period detail. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.
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B. Franklin of Philadelphia - L.L.D. F.R.S. / B. Wilson pinxt. ; Js McArdell fecit.
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Here the sitter is identified by his American city and his scholarly honors: the inscription reads "B. Franklin of Philadelphia, L.L.D. F.R.S." Franklin was in London in 1761 as a colonial agent for Pennsylvania, and this print circulated among the British audience that was following his work in electricity and his public role. The image was painted by Benjamin Wilson, a London artist who was also interested in electrical experiments, and it was engraved in mezzotint by John Jacob McArdell, a leading London printmaker of portraits. Mezzotint's soft, velvety tones suited the faces of prominent sitters, which is why such prints were popular among collectors of the period.
| Created / published | 1761 |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print : mezzotint. |
| Genre | Portrait prints 1760-1770.Mezzotints 1760-1770. |
| Notes | Title from item. Gardiner Greene Hubbard Collection (Library of Congress). Published in: The American Revolution in drawings and prints; a checklist of 1765-1790 graphics in the Library of Congress / Compiled by Donald H. Cresswell, with a foreword by Sinclair H. Hitchings. Washington : [For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.], 1975, no. 57. |
| Subjects | Franklin, Benjamin,--1706-1790. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,137 × 1,536 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-122364 |
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