Describe the characteristics of the Straying from the truth in Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky's Description and interpretation.
The painting is an example of a history painting, but as West had done in the past with works such as in his 1770 The Death of General Wolfe, 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.
The Death of General Wolfe history painting Benjamin Franklin cherub Carl Rohl-Smith's Carl Rohl-Smith Kite