“Silas Deane, Esq.” Engraved Portrait
Drawn from the life by Du Simitière; published by J. Felten, Jr., Philadelphia, December 1783 - Frame: 8 x 5⅝ inches; sight: 6⅜ x 3¾ inches
 
A finely engraved portrait of Silas Deane, an early American diplomat and commissioner to France during the opening years of the Revolutionary War. Appointed by the Continental Congress in 1776, Deane worked alongside Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee, helping secure vital arms and military supplies prior to the formal Franco-American alliance of 1778.
 
Drawn from life by Pierre Eugène du Simitière, the Swiss-born artist active in Philadelphia whose work documented many of the leading figures of the Revolutionary era. Issued in 1783 shortly after the close of the war, the engraving reflects contemporary interest in the individuals who helped secure American independence.
 
Condition: Very fine.