Sir Isaac Newton, 1702

One of the greatest of all scientists and thinkers, Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was the most important influence on theoretical physics and astronomy before Albert Einstein. His wide-ranging achievements include theories concerning light, colour and calculus. His most significant contribution to scientific thought is the theory of universal gravitation, an idea that supposedly came to him when he saw an apple falling from a tree. His most important theories were published in two seminal works: Principia Mathematica (1687) and Opticks (1704).

There was great demand for Newton’s portrait among friends and associates, and by institutions with which he was connected. Newton understood the benefits of his fame and was a willing sitter. This portrait was painted when Newton and Sir Godfrey Kneller, painter to numerous British monarchs, were at the pinnacle of their respective professions. Kneller’s vigorous and swift handling of the paint gives the picture an exceptional vividness, while the piercing intensity of his gaze provides a sense of Newton’s genius. Newton kept the portrait in his possession until he died.

National Portrait Gallery, London Purchased with help from the Art Fund, 1936
© National Portrait Gallery, London