Joseph Siffred Duplessis - Master of 18thC French Portraiture, Faméd for Realistic Depictions of Aristocracy & Iconic Portraits Like Benjamin Franklin Joseph-Siffred Duplessis (1725–1802), a name perhaps less immediately recognizable than some of his contemporaries, nevertheless occupies a pivotal position in the history of 18th-century French portraiture. Born in Carpentras, France, he wasn’t born into an established artistic dynasty but rather a family where creativity simmered beneath the surface of practical life; his father, a surgeon, possessed a keen amateur interest in painting and p…