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Primary sourcePainting1702 (print made later)

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

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

A stipple engraving of Newton based on a 1702 portrait by Godfrey Kneller, made during Newton's lifetime.

An engraving reproducing a lifetime portrait of Newton painted by Kneller.

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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'.
J. Scott, Sir Isaac Newton (after Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1702), stipple engraving. Wellcome Collection.

About this source

What it is

This stipple engraving by J. Scott copies a 1702 portrait of Isaac Newton painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller. It shows Newton bust-length, wearing a long curled wig and dark robe. It is held by the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

Kneller painted several portraits of Newton during his life, and copies like this one helped fix his public image for later generations. The print was later published by a commercial printer, showing how images of scientists were reproduced and sold long after they were first painted.

Look closer

  • What does the formal wig and robe tell you about how scholars dressed in this period?
  • Why might a publisher reprint an old portrait of Newton many years later?
  • How might repeated copying of one image shape how we imagine a historical figure looked?

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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