Sir William Petty
1 of 7 portraits of Sir William Petty
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Sir William Petty
by Isaac Fuller
oil on canvas, circa 1651
49 in. x 39 1/2 in. (1245 mm x 1003 mm)
Purchased, 1937
Primary Collection
NPG 2924
Artistback to top
- Isaac Fuller (1606-1672), Painter. Artist or producer associated with 12 portraits, Sitter in 3 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Painted when Petty was in his twenties, this portrait shows him holding a skull in one hand with the other resting upon an edition of Adriaan van der Spiegel's De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body), 1627,open at Plate 3.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Ollard, Richard, Character Sketches: Samuel Pepys and His Circle, 2000, p. 51
- Ollard, Richard, Pepys and his Contemporaries, 2015, p. 77
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 490
Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top
- Science, Religion and Politics: The Royal Society (11 September 2010 - 5 December 2010)
- Restoration Lives: Samuel Pepys and His Circle (31 March 2003 - 26 October 2003)
Events of 1651back to top
Current affairs
Charles II, crowned King of Scotland, daringly invades England. His defeat at the Battle of Worcester by Oliver Cromwell permanently ends further military action against Parliament. Charles's escape from Worcester becomes legendary, as a fugitive, he seeks refuge for six weeks before finally fleeing to Normandy.Art and science
Social philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, publishes his major work, Leviathan. Recognised as a cornerstone of western political philosophy, Hobbes's implication that the new political authority should be accepted, angering many exiled royalists.International
Headed by Chief Justice, Oliver St. John, a delegation is sent by the Rump Parliament to The Hague to negotiate a union between England and the Dutch Republic. The mission fails, principally over refusal by the Dutch to expel the exiled Stuart royal family from the country.Comments back to top
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