William Harvey

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed, centre left: Gulielmus/(Magnus ille)/Harveus

This portraitback to top

A weak painting, perhaps from the 17th century (the inscription is evidently posthumous). The composition derives from the etching attributed to Richard Gaywood (F. O’Donoghue & H. M. Hake, Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits in the ... British Museum, 14; G. Keynes, The Portraiture of William Harvey, no.iv, fig.17), believed to be that mentioned in a letter from Dr J. Needham to John Evelyn, 5 April [1651]: [1] ‘Dr Harvey’s picture is etcht by a friend of mine and should have been added to his work, but that resolution altred; however I’ll send you a proof with your books that you may bind it up with his book De Generatione. I’m sure ‘tis exactly like him, for I saw him sit for it’.

Footnotesback to top

1) G. Keynes, The Portraiture of William Harvey, 1985, p 45 and n. where Malcolm Rogers (MAR) explained that ‘1649’ had been added to ‘5 April’; but the manuscript of De Generatione had not then left Harvey, who gave it to Dr George Ent at Christmas 1650; it was published the following year.

Referenceback to top

Keynes, 1949 (1st ed.), 1985 (2nd ed.)
G. Keynes, The Portraiture of William Harvey, no.iva.

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, pp 159-60.

Conservationback to top

Lined 1895; much retouched.

Provenanceback to top

H. B. Scougall, Ilfracombe, 1859;¹ J. O. Else, from whom purchased 1859.

¹ Letter from Scougall to Else, 11 January 1859 (on file), offering to sell his father’s portrait of Harvey.

Exhibitionsback to top

Royal Society of Medicine 1971.


This extended catalogue entry is by John Ingamells, one of a limited number of entries drafted in 2010 for the incomplete catalogue, Early Stuart Portraits 1625-1685, and is as written then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

View all known portraits for William Harvey