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
    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.
    Transcription
    JOANNES WALLIS S.T.P. GEOM. PROF. SAVIL. & R.S.SOC.
    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].
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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