Michael Faraday

Sitterback to top

• Michael Faraday (1791-1867), Scientist. Sitter in 28 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Thomas Phillips (1770-1845), Portrait painter. Artist associated with 215 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Born the son of a blacksmith and largely self-taught, Faraday became one of the greatest of all scientists and his discoveries continue to affect our lives today. He received his scientific education working as the assistant of Sir Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution. It was there, on 29 August 1831, that he made his greatest discovery: electromagnetic induction. This breakthrough led to a series of experiments carried out over the following ten weeks which are now acknowledged as the basis of modern electrical technology. This portrait shows him with two essential pieces of laboratory equipment: on the left is a Cruikshank battery of the sort he used in his electrical experiments, while on the right flames indicate the furnace which was necessary for a range of laboratory work at this time.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Audio Guide
• Victorian Portraits Resource Pack, p. 20
• Funnell, Peter, Victorian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery Collection, 1996, p. 20
• Funnell, Peter (introduction); Marsh, Jan, A Guide to Victorian and Edwardian Portraits, 2011, p. 21
• Hackmann, W.D., Apples and Atoms: Portraits of Scientists from Newton to Rutherford, 1986, p. 50
• Hart-Davis, Adam, Chain Reactions, 2000, p. 170
• Ormond, Richard, Early Victorian Portraits, 1973, p. 168
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 213

Subjects & Themesback to top

• On display at the Gallery
• Portraits with Archive documents
• Scientific discovery tour