''Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky'' is a c. 1805 painting by

Benjamin West Benjamin West, (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as '' The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...

in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It depicts American

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

conducting his

kite experiment The kite experiment is a scientific experiment in which a kite with a pointed, conductive wire attached to its apex is flown near thunder clouds to collect electricity from the air and conduct it down the wet kite string to the ground. It was p ...

in 1752 to ascertain the electrical nature of lighting. West composed his work using oil on a slate. The painting blends elements of both

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

and

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. Franklin knew West, which influenced the creation of this painting. Benjamin_west_omnia_vincit_amor_1809

Background

West based his painting on a well-known experiment Franklin conducted in 1752. Franklin observed that lightning frequently destroyed homes by igniting those made of wood. Franklin was determined to prove the presence of electricity in lightning through an experiment. Franklin's experiment, in its initial conception, depended on the completion of Christ's Church in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, whose steeples would be sufficiently hight to attract a lightning strike. Franklin then conceived of an alternative experiment that involved flying a

kite A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. ...

during a thunderstorm with a metal key attached to the string. Franklin conducted his experiment in private due to a myriad of factors, including its dangerous nature, and he did not want to disappoint the scientific community if the experiment failed. He decided to experiment alongside his son

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

in a field. Franklin demonstrated that the clouds carried an electrical charge by bringing a finger near the metal key, producing a spark. His experiments led to the widespread adoption of

lightning rod A lightning rod or lightning conductor (British English) is a metal rod mounted on a structure and intended to protect the structure from a lightning strike. If lightning hits the structure, it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducte ...

s on tall buildings to draw electricity off the building and into the ground.

Description and interpretation

Painting

Franklin is pictured raising his hand into the stormy skies as the clouds open above him. A spark appears between the key and Franklin's hand. West depicts Franklin with white hair, as he is popularly remembered. He holds a scroll in his left hand and is wearing a red cloak that is blowing in the wind. To Franklin's right is a group of

cherub A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...

s assisting him in his experiment by holding the kite string and observing him. West dresses one of these cherubs in traditional Native American attire. Cherubs were traditionally used in Apotheosis paintings that deify humans. Directly to Franklin's right is another group of cherubs tinkering with a tool. Franklin's right arm, the Cherub to his right, and the Cherub to his left, come together to form a triangle, the compositional foundation of the entire painting. The arrangement directs the viewers' eyes to Franklin's hand and the lightning key. West amplifies this effect by clearly defining the edges of the key and making the surrounding electricity more pronounced than the lighting in the distance. Franklin's head and gaze are fixated upwards looking beyond the canvas towards the heavens. These elements suggest that Franklin calls on the forces on nature and the heavens in his experiment. Benjamin_Franklin_Cherub_with_Native_Headdress

Benjamin_Franklin_Cherub_with_Native_Headdress

West includes elements commonly used in Romantic paintings, such as religious motifs and sublime aesthetics. However, the cherubs and themes of masculine heroism are more characteristic of Neoclassical paintings. The blend of two styles allows West to combine intelligibility with a sense of mystery.

Straying from the truth

Statue_of_young_Benjamin_Franklin_with_kite_-_by_Carl_Rohl-Smith_-_1893

The painting is an example of a

history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

, but as West had done in the past with works such as in his 1770 ''

The Death of General Wolfe ''The Death of General Wolfe'' is a 1770 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West, commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec, where General James Wolfe died at the moment of victory. The painting, containing vivid suggestions of martyrdom, ...

'', he strays from the truth and embellishes many elements for added dramatic effect. Franklin was in his forties and with his son when he conducted the experiment, but West paints him with white hair and wrinkly as an elderly man. West adds cherubs and other dramatic elements to depict Franklin as Prometheus-like figure, who stands as an American hero of scientific discovery. Other works of art, such as Carl Rohl-Smith's ''Statue of Young Benjamin Franklin with Kite,'' provide a more accurate representation of Franklin at the time of his experiment, giving him a significantly younger appearance.

West's relationship with Franklin

West and Franklin initially met in London, then developed an amicable relationship as fellow Philadelphians. West was born in

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Swarthmore ( , ) is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore was originally named "Westdale" in honor of noted painter Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The name was changed to "Swarthmore" after the es ...

, and Franklin moved to Pennsylvania in his early adulthood. They became close enough that West asked Franklin to be godfather to his second son. West decided to make the painting to celebrate the achievements of his friend after Franklin's death. The painting was intended to be a study for a much larger painting that West planned to donate in honor of his friend to the

Philadelphia Hospital Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since 1 ...

, established by Franklin.

In modern culture

In 1965 the United States selected this painting to be featured on their memorial

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the fa ...

commemorating the 250 anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth.

References

1810s paintings Cultural depictions of Benjamin Franklin Paintings in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Science in art Paintings by Benjamin West Paintings of children {{19C-painting-stub