Who painted John Wallis, Mathematician?

John Wallis, Mathematician was painted by David Loggan in 1678.

Where can I see John Wallis, Mathematician?

John Wallis, Mathematician is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is John Wallis, Mathematician?

John Wallis, Mathematician is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

John Wallis, Mathematician

David Loggan , 1678

John Wallis, Mathematician is an ink print by the Baroque artist David Loggan. It dates from 1678 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

David Loggan’s 1678 engraving presents the English mathematician John Wallis in a half‑length portrait. Rendered in black ink on paper, the image concentrates on Wallis’s face and upper attire against a dark, unadorned background, emphasizing the sitter’s scholarly bearing without extraneous detail.

Subject & Meaning

The figure is shown with shoulder‑length hair, a dark robe, and a white ruffled collar, his expression neutral and composed. The attire and pose reflect Wallis’s status as a learned professional in the late seventeenth century, conveying intellectual seriousness rather than personal narrative.

Technique & Style

Loggan employs fine cross‑hatching to model the folds of the robe and the texture of the collar, creating subtle gradations of tone that suggest volume. The engraving’s meticulous line work and restrained chiaroscuro are characteristic of Baroque portraiture, where careful shading imparts a three‑dimensional presence on a flat surface.

History & Provenance

Created in 1678, the print was likely produced shortly after Wallis’s appointment as Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford. It circulated among academic and collector circles in England, and surviving impressions are held in several institutional collections, documenting its continued relevance to the history of mathematics and portrait engraving.