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Primary sourcePainting1668

Thomas Hobbes Line Engraving by William Faithorne

William Faithorne · 1668

A portrait engraving of Thomas Hobbes made during his lifetime by William Faithorne, 1668.

This engraved portrait of Hobbes was made during his own lifetime, showing his real appearance in old age.

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Oval line engraving portrait of an older man with long wavy hair, a white collar, and a dark buttoned coat, looking toward the viewer with a serious expression against a crosshatched background.
William Faithorne, Thomas Hobbes, line engraving, 1668.

About this source

What it is

This is an oval line engraving portrait of Thomas Hobbes made by the engraver William Faithorne in 1668, while Hobbes was still alive. It shows an older man with long wavy hair and a dark coat, looking directly at the viewer.

Why it matters

Because it was made during Hobbes's own lifetime, this portrait gives students a reliable sense of his real appearance in old age, rather than an imagined or later likeness. Portraits like this were often made to accompany or promote an author's published works.

Look closer

  • What does Hobbes's expression and clothing suggest about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might an engraver like Faithorne have been asked to make a portrait of a philosopher?
  • What can and can't a formal portrait like this tell us about a person's character?

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

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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

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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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