3 OF 4 
Frontispiece to 'The History of the Royal-Society of London' by Thomas Sprat
3 of 4 portraits of William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker
Share this
Frontispiece to 'The History of the Royal-Society of London' by Thomas Sprat
by Wenceslaus Hollar, after John Evelyn
etching, 1667
8 7/8 in. x 7 3/8 in. (226 mm x 186 mm) paper size
Given by the daughter of compiler William Fleming MD, Mary Elizabeth Stopford (née Fleming), 1931
Reference Collection
NPG D2945
Sittersback to top
- William Brouncker, 2nd Viscount Brouncker (1620-1684), Mathematician; first President of the Royal Society. Sitter in 4 portraits. Identify
- King Charles II (1630-1685), Reigned 1660-85. Sitter associated with 295 portraits. Identify
- Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (1561-1626), Philosopher and Lord Chancellor. Sitter associated with 63 portraits. Identify
Artistsback to top
- John Evelyn (1620-1706), Diarist and virtuoso. Artist or producer associated with 2 portraits, Sitter associated with 13 portraits.
- Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677), Etcher. Artist or producer associated with 540 portraits, Sitter associated with 10 portraits.
This portraitback to top
The Society 'history' was written by the future Bishop of Rochester, Thomas Sprat under the guidance of John Wilkins. The book was a manifesto of the Society's aims and methods. It was primarily aimed at the king in the (unrealised) hope that he would fund their future activities. The frontispiece flatters Charles II by presenting him as a classical bust being wreathed by an allegorical figure of Fame. The Society President, Viscount Brouncker, points to the Latin inscription 'Charles II founder and Patron of the Royal Society'. Francis Bacon, gesturing towards an array of scientific instruments, is indentified as the 'Renewer of Arts'.
Events of 1667back to top
Current affairs
Leading figures of the 'Cabal' ministry, Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, engineer the downfall of first minister, Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, who is ousted from Parliament. Fallen out of favour with the king, Clarendon's pompous attitude and conservatism had made him increasingly unpopular.Art and science
Dutch woodcarver and sculptor Grinling Gibbons arrives in England. His innovative, naturalistic foliage woodcarving, with emphasis on sculptural form, became hugely popular.Poet John Milton sells the rights to his epic poem, Paradise Lost (1663), to printer Samuel Simmons.
International
Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter leads his fleet up the River Medway and succeeds in destroying several of Britain's warships at Chatham. Peace negotiations to end the Anglo-Dutch War were already in progress in Breda, but the attack encouraged a humiliated Charles II to hastily sue for peace.Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
