Engraving of oil painting, portrait of Thomas Mudge, 1799

Print of Thomas Mudge (1717-1794), clockmaker. After an oil painted by Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1736-1811) in 1772, engraved by Luigi Schiavonetti (1765-1810). Engraving, stipple 31x26cm., image 17.6x13.9cm. Portrait, HL seated. Thomas Mudge invented the 'lever escapement', crucial in the improvement of watches and developed marine chronometer, following the earlier work of John Harrison

This portrait formed part of the Bennet Woodcroft Bequest, which was among the founding collections of the Science Museum. Woodcroft had developed a 'National Gallery of Portraits of Inventors, Discoverers and Introducers of the Useful Arts’ combining gifts, loans and purchases of portraits, while acting as the first curator of the Patent Museum.