Portrait of Alexander von Humboldt
Date
1845
Sitter
Alexander von Humboldt (1769 - 1859, German) , Naturalist
Creator
Albert Henry Payne (1812 - 1902, British) , Engraver
After
Jacob Jacobs (1812 - 1879, Belgian) , Painter
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 220mm
width (print): 135mm
width (print): 135mm
Subject
Description
Three-quarter length seated portrait of Alexander von Humboldt. Humboldt is shown in an armchair, turned to the left as viewed. He points to a map of South America held in his right hand.
Plate from a grangerized copy of A history of the Royal Society, with memoirs of the Presidents…by Charles Richard Weld (London, John W. Parker, 1848). In this edition, the original two volumes were extended to eight volumes with the addition of extra-illustrations and documents, by Alexander Meyrick Broadley.
The print appears at p.351 in volume 3 of the adapted set of Weld’s History. A footnote quotes Humboldt’s opinion of the voyages of Edmond Halley. Originally published in Payne’s Universum, or, Pictorial World: being a collection of engravings…vol.1 (London, E.T. Brain, 1845-1847), p.126-.
Inscribed below: ‘Jacobs, pinx. A.H. Payne, sc. Alexander von Humboldt.’ The print has been trimmed, and lacks the publisher credit: ‘London: Brain & Payne, 12 Paternoster Row.’.
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) German naturalist and explorer, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1815.
Plate from a grangerized copy of A history of the Royal Society, with memoirs of the Presidents…by Charles Richard Weld (London, John W. Parker, 1848). In this edition, the original two volumes were extended to eight volumes with the addition of extra-illustrations and documents, by Alexander Meyrick Broadley.
The print appears at p.351 in volume 3 of the adapted set of Weld’s History. A footnote quotes Humboldt’s opinion of the voyages of Edmond Halley. Originally published in Payne’s Universum, or, Pictorial World: being a collection of engravings…vol.1 (London, E.T. Brain, 1845-1847), p.126-.
Inscribed below: ‘Jacobs, pinx. A.H. Payne, sc. Alexander von Humboldt.’ The print has been trimmed, and lacks the publisher credit: ‘London: Brain & Payne, 12 Paternoster Row.’.
Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) German naturalist and explorer, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1815.
Object history
Print from Charles Richard Weld's A history of the Royal Society, vol. 3... (London, John W. Parker, 1848) grangerized by the writer and collector Alexander Meyrick Broadley (1847–1916) into 8 volumes, adding illustrative material and manuscript items to Weld's text. The books were initially owned by Ludwig Mond FRS (1839–1909), and according to an inscription by his son Robert Ludwig Mond FRS (1867–1938) they were intended for presentation to the Society. This eventually happened in late 1959, the donor being the politician Harry Nathan (1889–1963), Lord Nathan of Churt.
Related fellows
Charles Richard Weld (1813 - 1869, British) , Author
Associated place