“The Affairs of Men” Stretched Canvas Print - Our Story

The Affairs of Men — Benjamin Franklin

Hands of Providence Collection

By the summer of 1787, the Constitutional Convention had reached a dangerous impasse. Delegates had spent weeks debating the structure of the new government, and disagreements between the states threatened to unravel the entire effort.

On June 28, Benjamin Franklin rose to address the Convention. At eighty-one years old, he was its eldest delegate. Looking back on the Revolution, Franklin reminded the room that during the struggle with Britain, the Founders had repeatedly sought divine help. Then he asked a question that has echoed through American history: “And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend?” 

The Affairs of Men imagines Franklin in the stillness surrounding that pivotal appeal—alone in the convention chamber after argument has given way to silence, surrounded by discarded papers and empty chairs.

He kneels beside the chair from which a new nation is being shaped. The chamber is dim. The work remains unfinished. And for perhaps the most celebrated intellect of his generation, reason alone is no longer enough.

Franklin told his fellow delegates that the longer he lived, the more convinced he became “that God governs in the affairs of men.” He then proposed that the Convention begin its deliberations with prayer, “imploring the assistance of Heaven.” 

Part of the Hands of Providence collection, The Affairs of Men reflects the faith woven throughout the American story—the moments when men and women faced circumstances larger than themselves and reached toward God for strength, wisdom, and guidance.

Historical Figure: Benjamin Franklin
Historical Moment: Constitutional Convention, 1787
Collection: Hands of Providence

Product features
- Matte cotton-poly canvas with archival Greenguard Gold latex inks
- Stretched on renewable radiata pine inner frame
- Soft rubber dots and included back hanging for secure mounting
- Available in horizontal, vertical and square formats across many sizes
- Printed with non-toxic, non-flammable latex inks; slight size tolerance ±1/8"

Care instructions
- If the canvas does gather any dust, you may wipe it off gently with a clean, damp cloth.