Portrait of Joseph Priestley (1733-1804),theologian and natural philosopher, with quill, paper, book and chemical flask. Priestley is best known his isolation and identification of seven gases, including oxygen, which he described as dephlogistated air, although he also wrote on electricity, optics and other areas of natural philosophy. He was as a vigorous advocate of unitarianism and of liberal reform of government, education, and theology.

This print is a line engraving with etched details.