Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Three-Piece Suit (habit à la française)
Not on view
This habit à la française belonged to Benjamin Franklin; it may be the plum-colored silk suit he bought in Paris in 1779, the year he was made American minister to France. The simplicity of dress he became known for was deceiving; tailor bills record luxury suits of vicuña wool, silk, and taffeta. It was the lack of embroidery and the absence of a wig that made Franklin stand out at the court.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
