Inspired by a discussion with @s_m_kay and @JustinSkirry, I thought I'd do a short thread on painted portraits of René Descartes ... #TwitterCartesians (1/8)

... Of course, this portrait, which currently hangs in the Louvre, is the famous image that philosophers tend to associate with Descartes. However, there is evidence to suggest that this is just a copy ... (2/8)

... The original is likely to be this, painted by Frans Hals in 1649, which can be found at the Statens Museum for Kunst ... (3/8)

... Another famous portrait is this by Jan Baptiste Weenix, which was painted at a similar time and currently is in the Centraal Museum in Utrecht ... (4/8)

... And then there's this painting of Descartes with Queen Christina of Sweden by Pierre Louis Dumesnil, which is currently at Versailles Castle ... (5/8)

... The above paintings all portray Descartes with the characteristic features we now associate with him. However, there are other paintings which portray him very differently. This is a painting of Descartes by Sébastien Bourdon, which currently hangs in the Louvre ... (6/8)

... And there is this anonymous portrait of Descartes as a young man, which hangs at the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse ... (7/8)

... Finally, there is this spurious portrait by Charles le Brun of a man who is alleged to be Descartes. (8/8)