Portrait of René Descartes
Date
late 18th century
Sitter
René Descartes (1596 - 1650, French) , Philosopher
Creator
Thomas Bland (British) , Engraver
After
Frans Hals (1576 - 1666, Dutch) , Painter
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 165mm
width (print): 105mm
width (print): 105mm
Subject
Description
Half-length portrait of René Descartes, presented in an oval frame. Above, a ribbon, sword and crown, surmounted by a five-pointed star. Below, a collection of books and illustrations from the works of Descartes, with a telescope, globe and calipers, illuminated by a flaming torch in the form of a caduceus.
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.405 in volume 4 of the adapted set of Weld’s History. Weld’s text notes that Isaac Newton had studied the mathematical works of Descartes and Wallis from 1663.
Inscription below: ‘Bland Sculp. RENE DESCARTES.’.
René Descartes (1596-1650) French philosopher, scientist and mathematician.
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.405 in volume 4 of the adapted set of Weld’s History. Weld’s text notes that Isaac Newton had studied the mathematical works of Descartes and Wallis from 1663.
Inscription below: ‘Bland Sculp. RENE DESCARTES.’.
René Descartes (1596-1650) French philosopher, scientist and mathematician.
Object history
Print from Charles Richard Weld's A history of the Royal Society, vol. 4... (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