Edward Jenner
- Artist: James Northcote
- Date: 1803
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 50 in. x 40 in. (1270 mm x 1016 mm)
- Portrays: Edward Jenner
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
Before you is an oil on canvas portrait by James Northcote, painted in 1803. The sitter, Edward Jenner (1749‑1823), appears full‑length in a relaxed pose. He holds his 1801 publication propped up by the foreleg of a cow—an homage to his pioneering vaccine derived from cowpox. Beside it, a glass case displays a preserved hoof; its bones and joints are still visible, completing the narrative Northcote wanted to convey.
Northcote, a pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds, paints with clear brushwork that highlights Jenner’s thoughtful expression against a muted background. The portrait measures 50 inches by 40, giving it a modest scale suitable for an intimate viewing room.
The work is an early example of how scientific achievement could be celebrated in portraiture during the Regency period.
See it in person
Edward Jenner is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
