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Primary sourcePainting20 April 1793

Thomas Paine Half-Length Portrait Engraved by William Sharp

William Sharp, after George Romney · 20 April 1793

An engraving of Thomas Paine made in 1793 from a painting by George Romney, published during Paine's lifetime.

This widely circulated engraving linked Paine's image directly to his famous work Rights of Man.

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Engraved half-length portrait of a man with wavy hair, facing left, wearing a dark coat and white cravat. His right hand rests on a sheet with handwritten text reading 'Rights of Man'. Printed caption below reads 'Thomas Paine'.
William Sharp, after George Romney, Thomas Paine, 1793.

About this source

What it is

This is an engraving by William Sharp, published in London on 20 April 1793, based on a painting by George Romney. It shows Paine half-length, facing left, with his hand resting on a sheet labelled 'Rights of Man'.

Why it matters

Made while Paine was alive and widely known for his pamphlet Rights of Man, this engraving helped spread a recognizable image of him to the public. The collaboration of two established artists, Romney and Sharp, shows that Paine had become a figure important enough to be formally portrayed and mass-reproduced.

Look closer

  • Why might the engraver choose to include the words 'Rights of Man' in the image?
  • What does the formal pose suggest about how Paine wanted to be remembered?
  • How does an engraving differ from a painting in how widely it could be seen?

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

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Title page of the 1776 Philadelphia pamphlet Common Sense, addressed to the Inhabitants of America, printed by R. Bell in Third Street. Handwritten annotations include a name in the top corner and Thomas Paine's name near the bottom.Book

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Photograph of the first page of a printed 1776 pamphlet titled The American Crisis, Number I, by Thomas Paine, with handwritten annotations at the top reading 'by Thomas Paine' and 'published in the Penn. Journal' and 'June 1776'. The printed text begins 'These are the times that try men's souls.'Book

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The American Crisis

Thomas Paine · 1776-1783

Title page of Rights of Man, reading 'Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke's Attack on the French Revolution, by Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and Author of the Work Intitled Common Sense. London: Printed for J. S. Jordan, No. 166, Fleet-Street. MDCCXCI.' Handwritten ink marks appear in the upper right corner.Book

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Title page of The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. Text reads: 'The Age of Reason; Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology. By Thomas Paine, Secretary for Foreign Affairs to Congress in the American War, and author of the works entitled Common Sense, and Rights of Man, &c. Paris: Printed by Barrois. London: Sold by D. I. Eaton, at the Cock and Swine, No. 74, Newgate-street. 1794. Price two shillings.'Book

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Scan of the engrossed Declaration of Independence on aged parchment. Heading reads 'In Congress, July 4, 1776' with the title 'The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America' below. Dense handwritten text fills the page; signatures appear at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Declaration of Independence

Continental Congress (drafted by Thomas Jefferson) · 1776

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