Rare Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Benjamin Franklin, by A. Carrier-Belleuse

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (France, 1824-1887)

A rare seated bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin holding his walking stick and hat, with a book in his right jacket pocket inscribed "Science"

The base inscribed with the phrase "Eripuit Coelo fulmen scep trumque tyranis", attributed to French statesman Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, which translates to "He seized lightning from the skies and the scepter from tyrants".

A true collectors piece.

Signed on base "Carrier".

Measures: 15.5" high x 8" wide x 8.5" deep

Excellent condition. No damages noted. Ready to place.

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, a highly prolific 19th-century French sculptor, created this depiction of Benjamin Franklin. He employed a large staff in his workshop, including a young Auguste Rodin, who was his chief assistant in the late 1860s. In 1876, Carrier-Belleuse became artistic director at the Sèvres Porcelain Manufacture. This statuette is a free adaptation, in a new pose, of François Marie Suzanne's sculpted portrait of Franklin from 1793. Suzanne’s statue was frequently reproduced, with variations of costume and poses.

A smaller version of this work is in the collection of the American Philosophical Society.