A philosopher Conduit Street / [graphic]

"An elderly man displays scientific experiments. He stoops forward, in profile to the left, holding a rod horizontally between his fingers, in the left hand is a glass. A small still, phials, &c, and an elaborate appliance (right) are on the long table behind which he stands. On the wall are two medallion profile-portraits, one (left) being that of Priestley. A serpent, a scroll with cabalistic signs, a terrestrial globe on a bracket, are also on the wall, which is lit by a single candle with a curiously shaped reflector."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an alternate version of similar composition