Presumed Portrait of Johannes Kepler

What it is

This oil painting, attributed to Hans von Aachen, a court painter active in the Prague circle, is presumed to be a portrait of Johannes Kepler, made around 1612. It shows a bearded man with short dark hair against a dark background, wearing a dark doublet with a large white collar, with part of a metal armor piece visible on his shoulder.

Why it matters

If the identification is correct, this painting offers a rare image of Kepler made during his own lifetime, by an artist connected to the imperial court where Kepler worked as an astronomer. The attribution, however, is not certain, which is itself worth noticing.

Look closer

• Why do you think historians are not fully certain this portrait shows Kepler?
• What does the clothing and setting suggest about the sitter's status?
• How might our idea of what Kepler looked like change if this attribution were wrong?