James Beattie
(1735-1803), Poet and philosopherSitter in 4 portraits
James Beattie was a Scottish scholar and writer. He was the son of a shopkeeper and small farmer at Laurencekirk in the Mearns, and was educated at Aberdeen University. In 1760, Beattie was appointed Professor of Moral Philosophy at Aberdeen. In the following year, he published a volume of poems, The Judgment of Paris (1765), which attracted much favourable attention. The two works that brought him most fame were his Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth (1770) and his poem, The Minstrel, the first book of which was published in 1771 and the second in 1774.
by James Watson, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, published 1775 (1773)
NPG D23555
by Frederick Bromley, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, published 1861 (1773)
NPG D683
by Frederick Bromley, published by Henry Graves, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
mezzotint, published 1861 (1773)
NPG D14674
by Thomas Gaugain, published by T. Philips, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
stipple engraving, published 16 May 1805
NPG D20339
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