Steel engraved portrait of Calvin by Thomas Woolnoth, 1853

What it is

This is an oval steel engraving of a bearded man in a dark cap and fur-trimmed dark robe with a white collar, facing right. It was made in 1853 by Thomas A. Woolnoth and is copied from a print engraved by C. Dankerts. The printed captions read 'CALVIN', name the Dankerts print, and give a publisher line referring to the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. It is held by the University of Edinburgh.

Why it matters

The engraving is a later image of Calvin, not a likeness made during his lifetime. It copies a print that dates from the 17th century, so it shows how Calvin had been imagined over two centuries after his death in 1564. Images like this were sold and used to illustrate books and education materials, which helped shape how readers pictured the reformers of Geneva.

Look closer

• What details in the dress and the oval frame tell you about the period in which the image was made?
• Why might a publisher have chosen to copy an older print instead of drawing Calvin from life?
• How can you tell from the captions where this picture came from, and what does that suggest about how far it can be trusted as a record of his face?