Credit: ©The Royal Society
                             
                         
                     
                         
                         
                             
                                 Image number: RS.9752
                             
                         
                         
                     
                 
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            Portrait of John Wallis
                                Date
                            
                            
                                17th century
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Sitter
                            
                            
                                John Wallis (1616 - 1703, British) , Mathematician
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Creator
                            
                            
                                Gerard Soest (1595 - 1681, Dutch) , Painter
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Object type
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Archive reference number
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Material
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Dimensions
                            
                            
                                height (painting): 768mm
width (painting): 638mm
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            width (painting): 638mm
                                Subject
                            
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            
                                Description
                            
                            
                                Half-length portrait of John Wallis in a red and black ecclesiastical gown with a white square collar. He has natural shoulder length brown hair and wears a black skull-cap. Wallis is posed with his body and head turned to the viewer’s left, gloved hands folded together. 
John Wallis (1616–1703), British mathematician and cryptographer, was an Original Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1663.
                            
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            John Wallis (1616–1703), British mathematician and cryptographer, was an Original Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1663.
                                Transcription
                            
                            
                                JOANNES WALLIS S.T.P. GEOM. PROF. SAVIL. & R.S.SOC.
JOHN WALLIS D.D. F.R.S. by GERARD SOEST
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            JOHN WALLIS D.D. F.R.S. by GERARD SOEST
                                Object history
                            
                            
                                Presented by John Wallis (b.1650), 1704.
The painting was given to the Society by the son of the sitter in 1704 and minuted: “Dr Gregory brought Dr Wallis’s Picture (painted by Zoust) as a present to the Society from Mr Wallis, the Doctor’s Son. The Society ordered their Thanks to be returned to Mr Wallis, and gave their Thanks to the Doctor.“ This was followed up in the next meeting of Fellows: “A letter was Oredr’d to be written to Mr Wallis, thanking him for the picture of his Father.” [Royal Society Journal Book, Original, JBO/11, meetings of 5 April and 12 April 1704, p.47].
                            
                        
                            
                            
                            The painting was given to the Society by the son of the sitter in 1704 and minuted: “Dr Gregory brought Dr Wallis’s Picture (painted by Zoust) as a present to the Society from Mr Wallis, the Doctor’s Son. The Society ordered their Thanks to be returned to Mr Wallis, and gave their Thanks to the Doctor.“ This was followed up in the next meeting of Fellows: “A letter was Oredr’d to be written to Mr Wallis, thanking him for the picture of his Father.” [Royal Society Journal Book, Original, JBO/11, meetings of 5 April and 12 April 1704, p.47].
                                Associated place