Portraits of Dr. William HarveyRoyal Society of Medicine (Great Britain)
Science
Portraits of Dr. William Harvey
Royal Society of Medicine (Great Britain)
Harvey, William, 1578-1657 -- Portraits
The picture is an oil-painting on canvas measuring 40 in. by 28 in. It
is let into the wall on the right-hand side of the fireplace, with the
light of the great west or north-west window falling full upon it. It is
surrounded by a plaster moulding grained in imitation of a light wooden
frame. The portrait is that of an old man--nearer 80 than 70--with a
small oval face, hollow-cheeked and wide-browed. The face is deeply
lined and the eyes sunken. The beard is pointed, the hair grey, scantier
and more nearly white than in Janssen’s picture at the Royal College of
Physicians. The whole expression is one of fatigue. He is sitting in a
chair at a table, clothed in black and bare-headed. His gown is
short-sleeved, without strings or buttons. The sleeves of a more shiny
(velvet?) jacket or doublet show below the short sleeves of the gown.
They end in a narrow white linen cuff, which is turned back to a depth
of about half an inch. The gown, which is edged with fur, is open in
front and shows the breast of a black velvet jacket, which is quite
plain, without buttons or join in front. Round the neck is a soft white
collar, smoothly turned down and not rumpled as in Janssen’s picture.
The linen of the collar and cuffs is of delicate texture, as is shown by
its transparency. Harvey is represented sitting in a chair at a table,
with the right hand resting upon a book, in old calf binding without
lettering, which stands on end with its back to the spectator. The hands
are exquisitely painted, small and very life-like. It is almost possible
to feel the difference between the grasp of the right hand, which holds
the book, and that of the left, which lies negligently on the end of the
arm of the chair. The face, which is turned three-quarters to the left,
has very decided high lights on the forehead and left cheek. The table
is on the left side of the picture, and the colour of the chair, table
cover--which is naturally indented by the knee of the sitter--and book
are all of a light brown. The chair resembles that in Janssen’s
picture. It has become brown with age, but was perhaps originally pink.
The background of the picture, which is without detail, is of a neutral
brown tint, which lies between raw sienna and burnt umber, and is almost
identical with the colour of the chair and table, which are thus
rendered inconspicuous, though the figure is thereby thrown into relief.
The canvas is labelled ‘Dr. Harvey’ in bold letters at the top
right-hand corner. A copy in oils, 15 in. by 12 in., was made for Dr.
Nixon and is signed ‘Frank Holmes, Clifton, 1913’.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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