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Primary sourcePainting1650

Thomas Hobbes

John Michael Wright · 1650

A 1650 oil portrait of the philosopher painted from life, now the defining image of the elderly Hobbes.

This life portrait of Hobbes is the defining image of the philosopher in old age.

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Oil portrait of an older man with long grey hair, a receding hairline, moustache and small grey beard, wearing a dark coat and a white collar against a dark background, one hand visible at lower right.
John Michael Wright, Thomas Hobbes, 1650. National Portrait Gallery.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting of Thomas Hobbes was made in 1650 by the artist John Michael Wright. It shows Hobbes as an older man, with long grey hair and a small beard, wearing a dark coat. The painting is held by the National Portrait Gallery.

Why it matters

Because Wright painted Hobbes from life, this portrait is considered the most authoritative image of the philosopher and has shaped how later generations picture him. It gives us a direct visual record from someone who actually saw Hobbes, rather than an imagined likeness made after his death.

Look closer

  • What does Hobbes's clothing and expression suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might a 'life portrait' be considered more reliable evidence than a later painting?
  • What is left out of a portrait like this that a written biography might include?

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

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Engraved title page of Hobbes's Leviathan: a giant crowned figure made of many tiny people holds a sword and crozier over a landscape of hills and a city. Below, a central banner bears the title and author's name, flanked by vignettes of castle, church, crown, mitre, cannon, weapons, battle, and a council.Book

Primary source

Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes · 1651

Engraved frontispiece of the 1642 Paris edition of Hobbes's De Cive. Top panel shows a crowded scene of figures in clouds and a fiery landscape with a winged angel and a group of people. Bottom panel has a central banner titled Elementorum Philosophiae Sectio Tertia De Cive with Latin text, flanked by a crowned female figure holding scales labeled Imperium and a figure with a bow and spear labeled Libertas, with a landscape and the word Religio across the middle.Book

Primary source

De Cive

Thomas Hobbes · 1642

Line engraving portrait of Thomas Hobbes, a man with long wavy hair, a large white collar, and dark robes, shown in an oval frame inscribed with his name in Latin. Below is a Latin inscription and the printer's line 'London, Printed for Will. Crooke'.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, Line Engraving

Book

Primary source

The Elements of Law

Thomas Hobbes · 1640

Engraved title page reading 'The Workes of Homer Engl: by T: Hobbes', with a bust of Homer above, two armoured warriors with spears flanking the title, and an oval portrait of Hobbes below. Imprint reads London, printed for W. Crooke, 1677.Artifact

Secondary source

Title Page of The Workes of Homer, Translated by Thomas Hobbes

1677

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