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Secondary sourcePainting1897

Thomas Malthus by Félix Vallotton

Félix Vallotton · 1897

A 1897 woodcut-style portrait of Malthus made by the artist Félix Vallotton, decades after Malthus's death.

A later artistic reimagining of Malthus's likeness made long after his death.

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Black-and-white woodcut-style portrait of a man with swept-back hair, a furrowed brow, a slight smile, and a high collar with a cravat. The initials FV appear in the lower right corner.
Félix Vallotton, Thomas Malthus, 1897.

About this source

What it is

This is a black-and-white woodcut-style portrait of Thomas Malthus made in 1897 by the Swiss-French artist Félix Vallotton, showing a man with swept-back hair, a furrowed brow and a slight smile.

Why it matters

Vallotton was known for making striking woodcut portraits of notable historical and contemporary figures. This image was created more than sixty years after Malthus died, so it reflects how later artists imagined and represented him rather than a direct likeness from life.

Look closer

  • How does Vallotton's style differ from the engraved portraits made closer to Malthus's lifetime?
  • Why might an artist in the 1890s choose to portray an economist who died decades earlier?
  • What expression or mood does the artist give Malthus, and why might that choice matter?

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

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