Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.9753
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    Portrait of Joseph Williamson

    Date
    ca. 1684
    Sitter
    Joseph Williamson (1633 - 1701, British) , Government official
    Creator
    Godfrey Kneller (1646 - 1723, British) , Painter
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (painting): 1274mm
    width (painting): 1031mm
    Subject
    Description
    Three-quarter length portrait of Joseph Williamson leaning with his right arm against an architectural pillar, the upper portions swathed in a brown hanging. Williamson’s left hand is held at his hip. He wears a shoulder-length brown wig and a brown coat, embroidered in gold and silver, with a white shirt and lace neck-cravat. Over this, a green velvet cloak worn across the body and held at the shoulder by a jewelled clasp.

    Sir Joseph Williamson (1633-1701), British government official, was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1660. He served as the Society's President from 1677 to 1680. Despite his many duties as a Secretary of State he presided at every meeting of the Society during his term of office.

    Williamson was also founding member, stockholder and assistant of the The Royal Adventurers into Africa, later Royal African Company (RAC). The RAC was a British trading company established by Royal Charter in 1660 which enslaved and sold African people. It was made up of and funded by members of the Stuart royal family and London merchants, many of whom were, or went on to become, Fellows of the Royal Society. The Royal Society itself held shares in the company until 1699.
    Transcription
    JOSEPH WILLIAMSON EQUES. REG. SOC. PRAESES. II. ANO. 1677
    (1)S
    Stair Hall Grd
    Wiliamson
    Francis Collin PICTURE CLEANER 52, Great Marlborough Street
    SIR JOSEPH WILLIAMSON (1633-1701) PRESIDENT 1677-80 By SIR GODFREY KNELLER.”
    Object history
    Presented by Sir Joseph Williamson, 1684.

    The donation is given in one early museum catalogue as being 3 December 1683. [Royal Society Manuscripts General, MS/414/11, p.20]. This must be a clerical error, since no meeting were held on that day in 1683. 1684 was meant and a Journal Book minute states that: “The Society having received the Picture of Sir Joseph Williamson, formerly their President, ordered it to be placed in their Meeting Room, and desired Mr.Hill, and Dr, Gale, to wait upon Sr. Jos. Williamson with their thanks.” [Royal Society Journal Book, Original, JBO/7, meeting of 10 December 1684, p.278].
    Associated place
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