The Old Hall, Hardwick, Derbyshire

What it is

This wood engraving, made by William Bennett and published in the Illustrated London News on May 23, 1863, shows the Old Hall at Hardwick, Derbyshire, set on a hill among trees, with riders and grazing animals in the foreground. It is held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Hardwick Hall was a seat of the Cavendish family, who employed Thomas Hobbes for much of his working life as tutor and secretary. Although this print was made nearly two centuries after Hobbes's time there, it gives students a sense of the grand estate connected to his career, even though it is not a direct historical source from his own lifetime.

Look closer

• What does the size and setting of the hall suggest about the wealth of the family Hobbes worked for?
• Why is this image useful for imagining Hobbes's world, even though it was made much later?
• What is missing from this peaceful rural scene that might tell us about daily life at Hardwick in Hobbes's time?