René Descartes
© National Portrait Gallery, London
René Descartes
by Franciscus van Schooten
line engraving, 1644
6 3/4 in. x 4 1/8 in. (170 mm x 104 mm) plate size; 7 1/2 in. x 5 7/8 in. (192 mm x 150 mm) paper size
Given by the daughter of compiler William Fleming MD, Mary Elizabeth Stopford (née Fleming), 1931
Reference Collection
NPG D28636
Sitterback to top
- René Descartes (1596-1650), French philosopher and mathematician. Sitter in 10 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Franciscus van Schooten (1581-1646), Draughtsman and engraver. Artist or producer of 1 portrait.
Events of 1644back to top
Current affairs
Royalists under Prince Rupert are defeated by the united forces of Scottish Covenanters and English Parliamentarians at the Battle of Marston Moor, ending their power in the north of England.Queen Henrietta, having giving birth to her last child, leaves England for safety. She would never see her husband again.
Art and science
French philosopher, René Descartes, publishes Principles of Philosophy, setting out his views on the laws of physics, notably, the principle concerning the motion of objects in the absence of external forces, later borrowed by Sir Isaac Newton.International
The construction of Fort St. George, the first English fortress in India, is completed by the East India Company. It soon became a centre for trade and led to the expansion of settlements, eventually becoming the coastal city of Madras (Chennai).Comments back to top
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