Tycho Brahe, stipple engraving by Richard Cooper

What it is

This is a stipple engraving portrait of the astronomer Tycho Brahe, made by the engraver Richard Cooper. It shows Brahe wearing a feathered cap, ruff collar and fur-trimmed cloak, with his hand resting on a celestial armillary sphere. It is held today by the Wellcome Collection in London.

Why it matters

This print was made long after Brahe's death and belongs to a tradition of printed portraits that shaped how later generations imagined famous scientists. The armillary sphere and scattered stars point to Brahe's fame as an observer of the heavens, even though the artist never saw him in person.

Look closer

• Why might the engraver have chosen to show Brahe with an armillary sphere rather than another object?
• What does the costume tell you about how artists pictured scholars of earlier centuries?
• Since this was made after Brahe died, how reliable do you think it is as a likeness?