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Primary sourcePainting1702

Sir Isaac Newton

Godfrey Kneller · 1702

An oval oil portrait of Newton painted by Godfrey Kneller in 1702, showing him as a public figure in London.

This portrait depicts Newton as a public figure at the height of his civic career.

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Oval-framed oil portrait of a man with shoulder-length curled brown hair, wearing a dark cloak over a white open-necked shirt, against a dark brown background. He looks directly at the viewer.
Godfrey Kneller, Sir Isaac Newton, 1702. National Portrait Gallery, London.

About this source

What it is

This is an oil portrait of Isaac Newton painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller in 1702. It is held at the National Portrait Gallery. The portrait is oval-framed and shows Newton with curled hair, wearing a dark cloak over a white shirt, looking directly at the viewer.

Why it matters

By 1702 Newton had become a prominent public figure, serving at the Royal Mint and later as President of the Royal Society. Kneller was one of the leading portrait painters of the period, and his depiction of Newton reflects how the scientist wished to be seen by society: dignified, composed, and respectable.

Look closer

  • What does Newton's direct gaze at the viewer suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might Newton have chosen Kneller, a fashionable painter, for his portrait?
  • What is left out of a formal portrait like this that might tell us more about Newton's life as a scientist?

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

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Title page of the 1687 first edition of Newton's Principia. Large capitals read PHILOSOPHIÆ NATURALIS PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA, with author credit, Imprimatur by S. Pepys, dated Julii 5, 1686, and London printing by Josephi Streater, Anno MDCLXXXVII.Book

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Isaac Newton · 1687

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Principia Mathematica, Page 1: Definitions

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Black-and-white line engraving of an elderly man with long, wavy white hair seated in a dark armchair, wearing a dark coat, waistcoat, and white cravat, with his hands resting on his knee. A column appears at the right. Inscribed beneath: 'ISAACUS NEWTON EQ. AUR. ÆT. 83', with 'I. Vanderbank pinxit 1725' at lower left and 'Geo. Vertue Sculpsit 1726' at lower right.Painting

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Sir Isaac Newton, line engraving by Vertue, 1726

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Principia Mathematica, Fold-out Diagram

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Engraved portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, a man with long curled wig and dark robe, bust-length, against a shaded background. Caption below reads 'SIR ISAAC NEWTON' and publisher 'William Collins Glasgow & London'.Painting

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Sir Isaac Newton, stipple engraving by J. Scott after Kneller, 1702

J. Scott, after Sir Godfrey Kneller · 1702 (print made later)

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