Robert Nanteuil (c. 1623 – 1678)

John Evelyn

Paris, about 1650

Engraving

This engraving portrays Sir John Evelyn (1620-1706), the English writer known for his publications on culture, politics and the arts. Evelyn commissioned this portrait by Nanteuil whilst visiting Paris during the early 1650s. It is set in a simple oval and rests on an architectural plinth that is covered with Evelyn’s writings. Evelyn was particularly known for his treatise on trees, Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest Trees, written in 1664. The fourth edition (1706) appeared just after his death and featured this engraving which had been produced more than fifty years earlier.

Purchased in 1957 (No. 57. 2)

WORKS ON PAPER

We show a rotating selection of works on paper in our two dedicated exhibition spaces. If you wish to view a work not currently on display, you can make an appointment to see it in the Prints and Drawings Study Room, which is equipped with lecterns and a study/seminar table.

The study room is open to students, scholars, and members of the general public, individually or in small groups, by prior appointment only. The room has tables and chairs to facilitate private study or seminars.