Roger Bacon, English philosopher and scientist, 13th century

Roger Bacon, English philosopher and scientist, 13th century. Engraving made in 1786 of Roger Bacon (1214-1292) reading a work on alchemy. The caption of the image describes Bacon as an astrologer, chemist and mathematician and states that the image is from the collection of Frederick Roth Schel. The philosopher is shown dressed in ecclesiastical robes and wearing a long white beard. Bacon is often regarded as the first modern scientist. He has been associated with scientific inventions like the magnifying glass, microscopes and telescopes. His views on the primacy of mathematical proof and on experimentalism, found in his published works, are often considered strikingly modern. ©SSPL/Science Museum