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Primary sourcePainting1676

Thomas Hobbes, Aged 89

manner of John Michael Wright · 1676

A 1676 portrait of Hobbes in extreme old age, shown seated with his book Leviathan, painted in the manner of John Michael Wright.

This portrait depicts Hobbes himself at 89, seated with his book Leviathan prominently displayed.

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Oil portrait of an elderly man with white hair and a bald crown, wearing a dark brown robe over a white collar. He sits before a red-draped table with an open book labeled LEVIATHAN, a quill and inkpot, and a landscape behind him. Inscription reads Thomas Hobbes, Aetatis suae LXXXIX, 1676.
Manner of John Michael Wright, Thomas Hobbes, Aetatis suae LXXXIX, 1676. National Trust (Hardwick Hall).

About this source

What it is

This oil portrait, painted in the manner of John Michael Wright in 1676, shows Thomas Hobbes at the age of 89. It is known as the Hardwick portrait and is held by the National Trust.

Why it matters

Painted near the end of Hobbes's life, this portrait records him still active as a thinker and writer within the Cavendish household, who were his patrons for much of his life. The presence of his book Leviathan in the painting ties his identity directly to his most famous and controversial work.

Look closer

  • Why do you think the artist included the book labeled LEVIATHAN in the painting?
  • What does Hobbes's pose and setting suggest about how he wanted to be remembered?
  • What might this portrait not tell us about Hobbes's actual daily life at 89?

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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