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Primary sourcePainting1616

Thomas Hobbes Portrait Miniature by John Hoskins

John Hoskins · 1616

A small oval portrait miniature of a young Hobbes, painted by John Hoskins in 1616, kept at Chatsworth House.

This early miniature portrait shows Hobbes as a young man during his long service with the Cavendish family.

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Oval portrait miniature in a gold frame on dark green velvet. A man with light hair and a black skullcap, white falling collar, and black clothing, against a blue and brown background. A small white museum label with the number 1 is at the lower left.
John Hoskins, Thomas Hobbes, 1616. Chatsworth House, Derbyshire.

About this source

What it is

This portrait miniature of Thomas Hobbes was painted by John Hoskins in 1616. It is kept in the Oak Room at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, England.

Why it matters

This is an early likeness of Hobbes, made during the decades he spent in the service of the Cavendish family, whose home was Chatsworth. It shows how Hobbes was connected to a wealthy noble family early in his life, a relationship that shaped much of his career and gave him access to education, travel and influential circles.

Look closer

  • How does this young image of Hobbes compare with later portraits made when he was older?
  • Why might a wealthy family commission a miniature portrait of someone in their service?
  • What does the small, precious format of a miniature suggest about how it was meant to be used or displayed?

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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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

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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

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Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, Line Engraving

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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

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