There was not a bigger American celebrity in 18th century France than Benjamin Franklin. The United States’ beloved Founding Father was the first American diplomat to France in history. His rise to French fame began in 1776 when he was dispatched to France to gain their support for the American Revolution. There he quickly gained everyone’s admiration and was welcomed with open arms into France’s elite intellectual circles, mostly because of his profound scientific and political triumphs, but also partly because of his unique physiognomy. French culture places an enormous emphasis on all things dazzling, elegant, and beautiful but to be quite frank, Benjamin Franklin’s appearance is anything but. Franklin stood out like a sore thumb amongst the people of France because he chose not to conform to traditional French aesthetics, yet many famous French artists all lined up to include him in their art. In addition to his numerous scholarly accomplishments, his distinctive physical appearance would contribute to his popularity in 18th century French art. The allegorical etching of The Genius of Franklin by Marguerite Gérard is a great example of Benjamin Franklin iconography in French 18th century art. This print was based off of a brown wash drawing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard who was an infamous Rococo artist notorious for never completing his admission process to the French Academy. Sixteen-year-old Gérard collaborated with her brother-in-law, Fragonard, on a series of etchings based off of his drawings, which included The Genius of Franklin. The etching seen here is printed in brown ink, perhaps to match the original media. The scene appears to take place in a heavenly cloud-like atmosphere, resembling where ancient gods would reside. In the left portion of the etching are contorted muscular bodies symbolizing Mars, the god of war, a human embodiment of Avarice, or extreme greed, and a human embodiment of Tyranny, signifying cruel and oppressive government. In the upper right hand side of the etching is Minerva, goddess of wisdom and war, Benjamin Franklin, and a feminine figure representing America. At the top of the piece Minerva, depicted in a flowy sheet-like garb with wings, a feathered helmet, and a shield, is protecting Franklin and America from the lightning bolt, which is significant because Franklin discovered electricity through lightning. She is also holding a fascia, which symbolizes the united countries. Franklin is illustrated sitting with America at his side in a loose toga-like ensemble with a laurel wreath upon his head, pointing towards Mars, who’s throwing Avarice and Tyranny into a void. At the very bottom of the engraving it states in Latin "ERIPUIT COELO FULMEN SCEPTRUM-QUE TIRANNIS" which translates to "He tore the lightning from the sky and the scepter from tyrants.”[1] Franklin resembles Zeus in this engraving with his unkempt white hair, the presence of a lightning bolt, and his all-powerful demeanor. Fragonard first produced this drawing to honor Franklin upon his arrival to France, then with the help of his amateur student Gérard and current print making technology, this etching was widely advertised and marketed for sale, so that many other of Franklin’s admirers could own this image of devotion as well.[2] There is no doubt that Franklin’s reputation as a political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, and diplomat primarily fueled his rise to fame in 18th century France, but what also made him a popular topic of conversation amongst the people of France was his appearance. French culture prioritizes looking well-groomed and dressing in lavish costumes at all times in order to advertise wealth and power. During the 18th century it was commonplace for aristocratic men to wear powdered wigs with beautiful bows and intricate curls, with the popular style of wig at the time being ailes de pigeon or pigeons’ wings, which covered the male’s ears in tiny rows of curls. Aristocratic men would often clothe themselves in justaucorps, knee-length overcoats that were worn over breeches and a waistcoat, cravats, an 18th-century French version of the modern day necktie that was made of delicate lace and fabrics, culottes, elegant tight shorts that reached knee-length, and Louis-heeled shoes, shoes that had heels that added a few inches to the height of the wearer. Instead of a powdered wig Franklin wore a fur cap or nothing at all. He had refused to wear a wig when offered. With pride he would display his grey, thinning, and balding head of hair for all to see, with his hairstyle also being an iconic component to all the pieces of art, including The Genius of Franklin, modeled after him. In fact, some women of the time even adopted the “coiffure a la Franklin” in imitation of his fur cap.[3] His daily costume was described as that of a Quaker, which included a simple brown suit with a plain white shirt and stockings.[4] A useful image that really portrays the distinction between Franklin’s fashion and aristocratic French men’s fashion is Anton Hohenstein’s, Benjamin Franklin received at the French Court in Versailles. This image shows Franklin in his plain brown, unembellished costume standing in the presence of Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI, and numerous other aristocrats decked out in their frilly powdered wigs and their elaborately decorated costumes. This type of dress typically would not be tolerated in such a royal place such as Versailles, but because of Franklin’s achievements, he was celebrated with a laurel wreath placed upon his head. Franklin’s look was unprecedented amongst the wealthy political elite, which made him a heavily sought after subject for artists because of the novelty of his appearance. In addition, only the wealthy aristocrats that could afford decadent clothing and powdered wigs could also afford to have their presences turned into art, so it’s a rarity to see this kind of “blue-collar” appearance in art of this time. Talented artists of the 18th century were used to taking on prim and proper aristocrats as their subject matter, but a scraggily, balding, seventy-two year old man in simple attire was a new kind of challenge for them. Fragonard was only one of many who jumped at the opportunity to encapsulate him in their work. The same year The Genius of Franklin was produced, Houdon sculpted a marble bust of Franklin with his signature identifiers: balding and disheveled hair, lack of a cravat, and loose wattle-like skin hanging under his chin. Joseph Siffred Duplessis painted an oil painting of Franklin that same year as well. In 1777 Cochin drew a portrait of Franklin in his iconic fur hat and spectacles and Greuze completed both a pastel study and an oil painting of him as well. All of these pieces were executed within two years of Franklin’s arrival to France. Perhaps this indicates that when he arrived and the people of France witnessed the embodiment of genius they’ve heard so much about, they were so taken back by the dissimilarity in appearance they were so accustomed to that it charged Franklin’s popularity even more than it would if he resembled the look of a traditional French aristocrat. Without Franklin’s unique appearance, he may not have become the subject matter of many great French artworks that we have come to know and love today. [1] Pierre Rosenberg, “Franklin and Fragonard,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 105, no. 4 (2006): 575-590 [2] Perrin Stein, Artists and Amateurs: Etching in 18th-Century France (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2013), 3-13. [3] Stephen Randolph, “Benjamin Franklin: First American Diplomat, 1776–1785,” Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State, September 14, 2016, Accessed May 6, 2017, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1776-1783/b-franklin [4] Thomas Fleming, “Taking Paris by Storm: Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father and First Ambassador to France,” Medicographia 36, (2014): 112-122, accessed May 6, 2017, http://www.medicographia.com/2014/06/a-touch-of-france-taking-paris-by-storm-benjamin-franklin-american-founding-father-and-first-ambassador-to-france/
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