John Locke
1 portrait of John Locke
© National Portrait Gallery, London
John Locke
by George Vertue, published by John & Paul Knapton, after Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt
engraving, 1738 (1697)
14 1/4 in. x 9 1/4 in. (361 mm x 236 mm) plate size; 21 3/8 in. x 15 1/8 in. (542 mm x 384 mm) paper size
Acquired, before 1960
Reference Collection
NPG D42902
Artistsback to top
- John & Paul Knapton (active 1735-1789), Booksellers and publishers. Artist or producer associated with 290 portraits.
- Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (1646-1723), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 1689 portraits, Sitter associated with 30 portraits.
- George Vertue (1683-1756), Engraver and antiquary. Artist or producer associated with 865 portraits, Sitter in 7 portraits.
Related worksback to top
- NPG D14080: John Locke (from same plate)
- NPG D30980: John Locke (from same plate)
- NPG D31283: John Locke (from same plate)
- NPG D37398: John Locke (from same plate)
Portrait setback to top
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1738back to top
Current affairs
Fetter Lane Society founded in London by the Moravians; a reformed group of Protestants led by exiled Saxon Count Nicolaus von Zinzendorf. He visits Britain to petition the king for protection for Moravian missionaries working in the British colonies. An act to this effect is finally passed in 1749.John Wesley is converted, essentially launching the Methodist movement.
Art and science
Artist Allan Ramsay returns to London from Rome and sets himself up as a portrait painter.Metallurgist William Champion patents a process to distil zinc from calamine using charcoal in a smelter.
International
Methodist preacher George Whitefield arrives in Savannah, Georgia to replace John Wesley; the first of seven visits across the Atlantic which make him one of the most widely recognised figures in the American colonies.Merchant sailor Robert Jenkins presents his pickled ear (cut off by Spanish coast-guards in Cuba in 1731) to Parliament stirring up war fever against Spain and leading to the War of Jenkins' Ear the following year.
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