Johann Reinhold Forster

1729 – 1798

Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798), German/Scottish naturalist and writer, began his career as a pastor near Danzig. After a spell in Russia, he moved to England in 1766, teaching languages and natural history for a short time before producing A Catalogue of British Insects (1770). This and other publications brought him to the notice of Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, and he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1772. That year, aged forty-two, he was appointed naturalist on Cook's second voyage of discovery, on the Resolution; his son, Georg(e), accompanied him.

Updated 2023

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Portraits

Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster
c. 1780

Jean Francois Rigaud
Johann Reinhold Forster age 51

On display: Gallery Five

Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster

To the end of the earth

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2009

The portrait of Dr. Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster from 1780, is one of the oldest in the NPG's collection.

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