Existing comment:
George Washington and Benjamin Franklin
This print, depicting George Washington (1732–1799) and Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) facing each other in profile, was published in the Columbian Magazine (Philadelphia, March 1788). However, it was copied from an early edition of the Swiss author Johan Caspar Lavater's Essays on Physiognomy (1775–78), which proposed a person's character was evident in their expressions, facial features, and head shape. The magazine's author quoted Lavater's analysis of Washington's silhouetted profile, noting his good qualities and adding, "the original must be distinguished by an indefatigable activity -- a man who acts with prudence, and always with dignity."
Unidentified artist, 1788 |