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Primary sourcePainting

Portrait of Thomas Paine

George Romney

A painted portrait of Thomas Paine made during his lifetime, showing his appearance as an older man.

A painted portrait of Paine made during his lifetime, showing his appearance to contemporaries.

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Black and white engraved portrait of an older man with curly, graying hair, wearing a dark coat, white cravat and high collar, with a faint slight smile, shown from the chest up against a textured background.
George Romney, Portrait of Thomas Paine.

About this source

What it is

This is a portrait of Thomas Paine painted by the artist George Romney. It shows Paine as an older man, and because it was created while he was alive, it offers a direct record of his appearance to those who knew or encountered him.

Why it matters

Portraits like this one shaped how the public pictured Paine, a figure known for both his influential writings and his controversial reputation. It is a reminder that visual images of historical figures were often made by other people, shaped by the artist's choices and the purposes behind the commission.

Look closer

  • What expression or mood does the portrait convey, and how might that have been chosen by the artist?
  • Why might someone have wanted a portrait of Paine made during his lifetime?
  • What can and can't a painted portrait tell us about a person's character?

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

More Thomas Paine sources

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Title page of the 1776 Philadelphia pamphlet Common Sense, addressed to the Inhabitants of America, printed by R. Bell in Third Street. Handwritten annotations include a name in the top corner and Thomas Paine's name near the bottom.Book

Primary source

Common Sense

Thomas Paine · 10 January 1776

Photograph of the first page of a printed 1776 pamphlet titled The American Crisis, Number I, by Thomas Paine, with handwritten annotations at the top reading 'by Thomas Paine' and 'published in the Penn. Journal' and 'June 1776'. The printed text begins 'These are the times that try men's souls.'Book

Primary source

The American Crisis

Thomas Paine · 1776-1783

Title page of Rights of Man, reading 'Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution, by Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and Author of the Work Intitled Common Sense. London: Printed for J. S. Jordan, No. 166, Fleet-Street. MDCCXCI.' Handwritten ink marks appear in the upper right corner.Book

Primary source

Rights of Man

Thomas Paine · 1791-1792

Title page of The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. Text reads: 'The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. By Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and author of the works entitled Common Sense, and Rights of Man, &c. Paris: Printed by Barrois. London: Sold by D. I. Eaton, at the Cock and Swine, No. 74, Newgate-street. 1794. Price two shillings.'Book

Primary source

The Age of Reason

Thomas Paine · 1794-1807

Scan of the engrossed Declaration of Independence on aged parchment. Heading reads 'In Congress, July 4, 1776' with the title 'The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America' below. Dense handwritten text fills the page; signatures appear at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Declaration of Independence

Continental Congress (drafted by Thomas Jefferson) · 1776

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