Credit: © The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.9255
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    Portrait of Isaac Newton

    Date
    1727
    Sitter
    Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
    Creator
    John Vanderbank (1694 - 1739, British) , painter
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (painting): 1270mm
    width (painting): 1016mm
    Subject
    Description
    Three-quarter length portrait of Isaac Newton, wearing a wig and seated in a high-backed green chair with scrolled wooden arms. The sitter is looking away from a tan calf-bound book held upon his knee in a reading position. Newton is dressed in a loose olive-coloured robe, with white neck-cloth and shirt cuffs. An ouroboros [a snake holding its own tail in its mouth] can be seen to the right of the picture.

    Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727), British natural philosopher and mathematician was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1672, and served as its President from 1703 to 1727.
    Transcription
    J.Vanderbank. Fecit. 1726
    EQUES. ISAACUS NEWTON. ANNO ARETATIS. LXXXV A.C. M.DCC.XXVI
    SIR ISAAC NEWTON (1642-1727) PRESIDENT 1703-27 By VAN DER BANCK
    R.Society July 4th ’88 Frame 4
    Isaac Newton
    Object history
    Martin Folkes presented pictures of himself (by Hogarth) and Francis Bacon, in addition to this work.
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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