Skip to main content

Primary sourcePaintingc. 1669-1670

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes by John Michael Wright

John Michael Wright · c. 1669-1670

A lifetime portrait of the elderly Thomas Hobbes painted by John Michael Wright around 1669-1670.

This late-life portrait shows Hobbes as an elderly man, painted during his own lifetime.

Ask Thomas Hobbes about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Oil painting of an elderly man with long white hair, a light mustache and goatee, wearing a dark cloak over a dark coat and a white collar, set against a dark background, with one hand visible at the lower right.
John Michael Wright, Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, c. 1669-1670.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting of Thomas Hobbes in old age was made by the artist John Michael Wright around 1669-1670, during Hobbes's lifetime.

Why it matters

Painted when Hobbes was elderly, this portrait shows how he looked late in life, after decades as a controversial philosopher, and reflects the way such a prominent figure might be formally depicted by a notable painter.

Look closer

  • How does this portrait compare with other images of Hobbes made at different ages?
  • What does the formal pose and dress suggest about how Hobbes wanted to be remembered?
  • What is left out of a portrait like this that a written biography might include?

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

More Thomas Hobbes sources

Meet the AI Thomas Hobbes →
Engraved title page of Hobbes's Leviathan: a giant crowned figure made of many tiny people holds a sword and crozier over a landscape of hills and a city. Below, a central banner bears the title and author's name, flanked by vignettes of castle, church, crown, mitre, cannon, weapons, battle, and a council.Book

Primary source

Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes · 1651

Engraved frontispiece of the 1642 Paris edition of Hobbes's De Cive. Top panel shows a crowded scene of figures in clouds and a fiery landscape with a winged angel and a group of people. Bottom panel has a central banner titled Elementorum Philosophiae Sectio Tertia De Cive with Latin text, flanked by a crowned female figure holding scales labeled Imperium and a figure with a bow and spear labeled Libertas, with a landscape and the word Religio across the middle.Book

Primary source

De Cive

Thomas Hobbes · 1642

Line engraving portrait of Thomas Hobbes, a man with long wavy hair, a large white collar, and dark robes, shown in an oval frame inscribed with his name in Latin. Below is a Latin inscription and the printer's line 'London, Printed for Will. Crooke'.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, Line Engraving

Book

Primary source

The Elements of Law

Thomas Hobbes · 1640

Engraved title page reading 'The Workes of Homer Engl: by T: Hobbes', with a bust of Homer above, two armoured warriors with spears flanking the title, and an oval portrait of Hobbes below. Imprint reads London, printed for W. Crooke, 1677.Artifact

Secondary source

Title Page of The Workes of Homer, Translated by Thomas Hobbes

1677

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Thomas Hobbes now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions