John Winthrop 1714/15-1779
Winthrop served as the Hollis professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Harvard, and was especially fascinated by astronomy. With two assistants he made the arduous journey to St. John's, Newfoundland, to observe the transit of Venus in the early morning of June 6, 1761 a rare, eagerly anticipated occurrence, which could provide information on the distance of the sun from the earth. In search of recognition on an international stage, he sent the results of his observations to England, to be compiled with those of others; and with Franklin's help he was elected to the Royal Society of London in 1766. His portrait was painted around 1773, the year when he was awarded the first honorary doctorate of laws ever granted by Harvard. Copley's portrait presents Winthrop as a learned astronomer, wearing academic robes and a physical wig. The background refers to the hill where Winthrop and his assistants established camp and positioned their instruments to observe the transit of Venus, lit by the lambent pinks of the dawn sky. Winthrop points to a diagram of the transit, reproduced in his published account of the adventure. The brass reflecting telescope on the table is his own, and is included in the exhibition. Although he did not take it to Newfoundland, he may have used it to observe, from Cambridge, the transit of 1769.