Credit: © The Royal Society
Image number: RS.9266
Looking for a special gift? Buy a print of this image.
Portrait of William Kingdon Clifford
Date
1878
Sitter
William Kingdon Clifford (1845 - 1879, British) , Mathematician
Creator
John Collier (1850 - 1934, British) , Painter
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 864mm
width (painting): 1117mm
width (painting): 1117mm
Subject
Content object
Description
A landscape-format picture in which Clifford looks directly to the viewer, posed side-on and working at his desk. An untidy scatter of books and papers is on the desktop; with a glass inkwell beside which Clifford holds a quill pen poised in his right hand. Above this, on the wall to the upper left is a framed photograph with a family group. Clifford has reddish-brown swept-back hair and a full beard and wears a black coat.
William Clifford was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1874.
William Clifford was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1874.
Transcription
Winsor & Newton
WILLIAM KINGDON CLIFFORD, F.R.S. (1845-1879) by THE HON. JOHN COLLIER.
WILLIAM KINGDON CLIFFORD, F.R.S. (1845-1879) by THE HON. JOHN COLLIER.
Object history
The presentation is noted in Council Minutes: “The Secretaries reported a gift from the Executors of the late Mrs. W.K.Clifford, of a portrait of Prof. W.K.Clifford F.R.S., by the Hon. John Collier. “ [Royal Society Council Minutes, Printed, 1926-32, vol.13, p.179, meeting of 4 July 1929, minute 16].
The artist John Collier was the son-in-law of Thomas Henry Huxley, whom he painted. Collier was thus able to paint the scientific elite of the late 19th century especially of the Darwin-Huxley circle. In addition to Huxley, the Society has portraits by Collier of: William Kingdon Clifford, Michael Foster, Joseph Dalton Hooker, William Huggins, James Prescott Joule and William Spottiswoode with one painting of Charles Darwin after Collier’s original.
The artist John Collier was the son-in-law of Thomas Henry Huxley, whom he painted. Collier was thus able to paint the scientific elite of the late 19th century especially of the Darwin-Huxley circle. In addition to Huxley, the Society has portraits by Collier of: William Kingdon Clifford, Michael Foster, Joseph Dalton Hooker, William Huggins, James Prescott Joule and William Spottiswoode with one painting of Charles Darwin after Collier’s original.
Associated place