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Primary sourcePainting1790

Adam Smith, 1790

John Kay · 1790

An etching by John Kay showing Smith as an elderly man walking the streets of Edinburgh, one of only two likenesses made during his life.

One of only two images of Smith made during his lifetime, showing how he appeared and was recognised in Edinburgh.

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Black and white engraving of a standing man in profile wearing a tricorn hat, powdered wig, and long buttoned coat, holding a cane, beside a round table with books and an inkstand. Bookshelves and a checkered floor are behind him. Caption below reads 'The Author of the Wealth of Nations'. Signed 'RAY' and dated 1790 at lower left.
John Kay, Adam Smith, 1790. Etching.

About this source

What it is

This etching, made by the Edinburgh engraver John Kay and dated 1790, shows Adam Smith as an older man. It is captioned 'The Author of the Wealth of Nations.'

Why it matters

Very few images of Smith were made while he was alive, making this etching an important record of his real appearance, rather than an imagined or idealised one. John Kay was known for capturing well-known Edinburgh residents as they appeared on the street, so this image reflects how Smith was recognised by his neighbours near the end of his life.

Look closer

  • What details suggest this image was meant to capture a real, familiar figure rather than a formal portrait?
  • Why might an artist choose to show a famous thinker walking in public rather than seated at a desk?
  • How does this image compare with painted portraits of Smith made after his death?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Adam Smith on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, LL.D. and F.R.S., formerly Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. In two volumes, Vol. I. London, printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, in the Strand, MDCCLXXVI.Book

Primary source

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith · 1776

Scan of the title page of the 1759 first edition of The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. Centered ornament below. Imprint reads London: Printed for A. Millar, in the Strand, and A. Kincaid and J. Bell, in Edinburgh, MDCCLIX.Book

Primary source

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Adam Smith · 1759

Oil painting of a man in a powdered white wig and dark high-collared coat with blue-tinged shading, turned to the left, against a dark brown background. He has a slight closed-mouth expression.Painting

Secondary source

The Muir Portrait of Adam Smith

Unknown · c. 1790

Evening photo of Panmure House, a stone building with lit windows and a glass-fronted entrance at street level, with a sign reading Adam Smith's Panmure House. Dusk sky, paved street in foreground.Artifact

Primary source

Panmure House

1691-1693 (built); Smith resided 1778-1790

Oil portrait of an older man with white powdered hair in curled rolls over the ears, wearing a dark coat with a high collar and a white cravat. He looks off to the side against a dark brown background, lit from the left.Painting

Secondary source

Adam Smith, Political Economist, Portrait of 1800

Unknown (Scottish) · c. 1800

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