Profile Bust of Benjamin Franklin 1772 - 1775

Curator: Before us stands "Profile Bust of Benjamin Franklin," crafted between 1772 and 1775 by Patience Wright, a compelling exemplar of neoclassical portraiture rendered in sculpture. Editor: The man looks rather stern, wouldn't you agree? Yet, at the same time, that monochrome color, the slight blurring gives him an otherworldly, or perhaps, more fittingly, ancient god look. How funny for Benjamin Franklin, an extremely American figure, to look so, I don't know... Grecian. Curator: The sculptural profile, as a historical format, harkens back to classical antiquity, finding revival during the Neoclassical movement. Consider how Wright utilized the profile to distill Franklin into an almost allegorical figure of Enlightenment. Editor: You said it! Allegorical, indeed. Those sharp, definitive edges—like the brow line and the jut of his chin—suggest such decisiveness of mind. Then those wonderfully voluminous locks suggest a warmth of spirit, despite his seemingly cold expression. Is it made of marble, by the way? It has the cool distance of marble. Curator: It's not made of marble, rather, its monochrome medium provides visual unity but perhaps a slightly different conceptual result than painting. One could easily read this choice as lending an objective permanence to its portrayal of its subject. Editor: Permanent indeed! And as a representation of a founding father, its Neoclassical structure reminds me of all those old busts that fill the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. A wonderful American visual language. A man frozen, yet eternally vibrant, in history. Curator: Precisely. It encapsulates a pivotal moment, both artistic and historical. It offers a moment of reflection, does it not? Editor: It does. Funny how one object can speak volumes, not only on its subject and context but the enduring legacy of a visual idea.