Joseph Duplessis, born September 22, 1725 in Avignon, France, has left a mark on the world and even specifically the United States of America with his art. While successful with many paintings, particularly having to do with his own country, it can be argued that his portrait of Benjamin Franklin had the most impact of any of his work.
Duplessis’ portrait is responsible for the way that people imagine Benjamin Franklin’s image. We may not know who painted it, and we may not even know that we’ve seen the painting; but chances are, it’s the picture that comes to mind when you hear Franklin’s name.
Even more importantly for the United States, this portrait has become the face of the country’s one hundred dollar bill. Franklin made his first appearance on the bill in 1914, and starting in 1929 it featured the portrait by Duplessis. In 1996, the painting was replaced with H.B. Hall’s woodcarving of the original, producing the bill we now recognize (shown below).
Duplessis came from an artistic family and first began to learn his skills from his father, whose chief occupation was that of a surgeon. He became a successful portrait artist and many of his works are on display at the Louvre. Like his depiction of Benjamin Franklin, several of his portraits were spread to more viewers when they were duplicated as wood carvings.
