Credit: ©The Royal Society
Image number: RS.9673
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Portrait of Henry Oldenburg
Date
1668
Sitter
Henry Oldenburg (1612 - 1677, German) , Scientific correspondent
Creator
Jan van Cleve (1646 - 1716, Flemish) , Painter
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 838mm
width (painting): 635mm
width (painting): 635mm
Content object
Description
Half-length portrait. Oldenburg is dressed in black with a large white square collar and turned back cuffs. On his left hand, at his chest, he wears a square-cut diamond ring on the little finger. His right hand holds the key on a black ribbon, presumably to the pocket chronometer or watch that stands on the table before him. Oldenburg’s hair is dark, shoulder length and natural and he has a thin moustache.
Henry Oldenburg was elected a Fellow of the Royal society in 1663.
Henry Oldenburg was elected a Fellow of the Royal society in 1663.
Transcription
Portrait of Oldenberg...inspecting the improvement to the balllance spring of watches in the year 1668 by J.Van Cleef.
Oldenburg
HENRY OLDENBURG (1626-77) SECRETARY 1663-7. By JOHN VAN CLEEF
Oldenburg
HENRY OLDENBURG (1626-77) SECRETARY 1663-7. By JOHN VAN CLEEF
Object history
Purchased.
Previous printed catalogues, including that by C.R. Weld’s indicate that the painting was purchased, but with no further provenance. A brief list of 1834 gives the same information, attributing the work to the Dutch artist David Beck (1621-1656). [Portraits in the possession of the Royal Society (London, Royal Society, November 1834)].
The work was not noted in the Gentleman’s Magazine list of Royal Society paintings [“A list of original pictures at the Royal Society House. Communicated by a Connoisseur’, Gentleman’s Magazine, vol. 38 (1768), pp. 62-3.] therefore it must have been bought between years 1768 and 1832.
Previous printed catalogues, including that by C.R. Weld’s indicate that the painting was purchased, but with no further provenance. A brief list of 1834 gives the same information, attributing the work to the Dutch artist David Beck (1621-1656). [Portraits in the possession of the Royal Society (London, Royal Society, November 1834)].
The work was not noted in the Gentleman’s Magazine list of Royal Society paintings [“A list of original pictures at the Royal Society House. Communicated by a Connoisseur’, Gentleman’s Magazine, vol. 38 (1768), pp. 62-3.] therefore it must have been bought between years 1768 and 1832.
Associated place