Jean-François Janinet (1752-1814) Benjamin Franklin / Born in Boston, January 17, 1706. 1789. Aquatint after Joseph Siffred Duplessis. [292 x 360]. I.F.F. 58. Color print. Proof on vellum, heavily washed and restored. Surface rubbing. Fine margins. Janinet's print celebrates the founding father of the United States (1706-1790), who became a living legend in France, where he was ambassador from 1776 to 1785. He is depicted here a year before his death. "Franklin's stay in France, which lasted until July 1785, left a lasting impression on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. After the U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary's stay in Paris, a "Franklin myth" was born in the 1780s. His death, in 1790, gave rise to celebrations to honor the defender of liberty and the scientist who dominated nature: Mirabeau paid a vibrant tribute to the hero of American independence, the embodiment of the spirit of the Enlightenment." (histoire-images.org).