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This late 18th-century drawing presents a poignant portrayal of three Enlightenment luminaries: Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Benjamin Franklin. Signed "L. Blondon" in the lower right and likely completed shortly after Franklin's death in 1790, the work echoes the composition and sentiment of a rare engraved group portrait entitled "Le Flambeau de L'Univers."
During the Enlightenment, a period marked by intellectual ferment and the promotion of reason, individual rights, and liberty, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Franklin emerged as pivotal figures. Voltaire and Rousseau, French philosophers, were instrumental in shaping revolutionary ideas in Europe. Franklin, the American polymath, similarly embodied Enlightenment ideals and was deeply admired in France for his philosophical contributions and role in the American Revolution. The convergence of these three figures in the drawing signifies a symbolic union of transatlantic intellectual forces that shaped the late 18th century.
Blondon's aggressive angular technique, lends a vivid and immediate presence to the subjects, enhancing the drawing's impact. The depiction of these figures at the respective ages of their deaths—Voltaire at 84, Rousseau at 66, and Franklin also at 84—suggests a reflection on their lasting legacies and the enduring impact of their ideas.
In a broader historical context, the drawing serves as a visual testament to the profound influence of Benjamin Franklin during the "Cult of Franklin" period in France at the end of the 18th century. It captures a moment of convergence among key figures whose ideas on liberty, reason, and individual rights laid the groundwork for modern democratic societies.
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