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Portrait of Karl Marx

John Mayall · 1875

A studio photograph of Karl Marx taken in London in 1875, the image by which he is most widely recognized.

This 1875 photograph is the best-known portrait of Marx himself.

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Black-and-white studio portrait of a bearded older man with wavy white hair, seated in a carved wooden chair with his arms folded, wearing a dark suit and light shirt, against a dark backdrop with a draped curtain on the right.
John Mayall, Portrait of Karl Marx, London, 1875.

About this source

What it is

This black-and-white studio photograph shows an older, bearded Karl Marx seated with his arms folded, dressed in a dark suit, against a draped backdrop. It was taken by photographer John Mayall in London in 1875.

Why it matters

Photographs like this shaped how later generations pictured historical figures. This image of Marx—gray-haired, serious, dignified—became the standard likeness used in books, posters and monuments around the world, long after his death.

Look closer

  • What impression does the pose and setting create about Marx as a person?
  • Why might a photographer in the 1870s have arranged a sitter this way?
  • What does a formal studio portrait not tell you about someone's daily life or ideas?

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

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