| Portrait of Dr Richard Price | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Benjamin West |
| Year | 1784 |
| Dimensions | 71 cm× 94 cm(28 in× 37 in) |
| Location | National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth |
The Portrait of Dr Richard Price, is an oil on canvas by the American painter Benjamin West from 1784. [1]
The picture was sold at Christie's on 23 November 2004 and purchased by the Friends of the National Library of Wales.
The picture's dimensions are 28 x 37 inches.
Richard Price (1723–1791) was a radical and author. The portrait depicts him sitting in his office reading a letter from his friend Benjamin Franklin, dated 1784.
Price noted the sitting for this portrait in his diary, which is held today, like the picture itself, in the collection of the National Library of Wales, in Aberystwyth. This is the final portrait. Two similar images exist, perhaps studies for this picture: one held in Wales' National Museum in Cardiff, and one at the Royal Society in London.
West was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He travelled and painted many portraits, and has been called "the American Raphael". He died at Newman Street in London, on 11 March 1820. He is buried in St Paul's Cathedral. [2]
Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading writer, printer, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia's first fire department, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Richard Price was a Welsh moral philosopher, nonconformist preacher and mathematician. He was also a political pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the American Revolution. He was well-connected and fostered communication between many people, including several of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
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