Isaac Newton
(1643 – 1727)
Jack Kamen Artwork
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician who is famous for his laws of motion and theory of gravity. His work was diverse and included the study of thermodynamics and a design for a reflecting telescope. Newton also experimented with light, coined the word spectrum and demonstrated that white light contained all colors of light. He was also a mathematical scholar who developed theories of calculus.
Falling Apples
In 1665, Newton was a student at Cambridge University when a deadly outbreak of the bubonic plague caused the school to close. Newton returned home where he observed an apple fall from a tree. This observation, during a devastating time, inspired him to formulate a law of universal gravitation.
Explore Additional Portraits in the Collection
Charles Proteus Steinmetz
Grace Hopper
George Washington Carver
These portraits were commissioned by Dean Kamen for the SEE Science Center. The artist is Jack Kamen (1920-2008), an American graphic artist and Dean’s father. The series was created to inspire children through the stories of scientists and engineers whose work changed the world. While many of the pieces represent men, the duo worked hard to identify female scientists. Had Jack not passed, their goal was to continue to increase representation within the collection. The original artwork is on display at the SEE Science Center in the Jack Kamen Portrait Gallery.