Week 1: John Joseph Merlin

Dear all,

We hope you enjoyed studying Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of John Joseph Merlin.

Please share your thoughts and ideas with us here.

Temporarily used for contact details: Historic England, Archive Services, The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2EH, United Kingdom, Tel: 01793 414600, Email: archive@HistoricEngland.org.uk, Website: http://www.HistoricEngland.org.uk

 

You can see his silver swan invention here:

 

75 thoughts on “Week 1: John Joseph Merlin

  1. If I was going to commission my portrait I would like to appear in fancy dress to show that I am important. I would like to be painted with my whole family because I love them so much . I like to do art and sporty things. I quite of a girly girl but I can be a bit cheeky sometimes . Also when I am at school I have to focus to so I can get on with my work .My favourite subject in school has to be ICT , art and PE. Outside school it gives me time to catch up with my family such as my family. I love summer holidays because me and my family like to do competitive challenges.

  2. we really enjoye to look at john joseph merlins inventions they are great they make us laugh and mess about we all love it such as his roller skates and the silver swan.

  3. I also think that John Joseph Merlin is a very intelligent man. I really John joseph merlin is a great inventor because with out roller skates our lives would be very boring so I am very thank full.

  4. I really loved the video because the Silver Swan looked really beautiful, But the thing I didn’t like about the video was about the music from the Silver Swan, It was really creepy and it scared me.

    Also, what was the Silver Swan made of ?
    How long did it take to make the Silver Swan ?

    1. I wonder if you could do some research and find the answers to these questions and share them with us?

  5. I think this is an interesting portrait. The artist uses objects to indicate what sort of person this is. The fine painting is very detailed in style and, with the dark background, this suggests that this is an old painting.

  6. I think Josef merlin is a great inventor, because he invented the skeleton clock and the gouty chair. Josef Merlin was a intelligent man.

  7. we looked at some inventions of John Joseph Merlin’s we ranked them as the gouty chair,the mechanical swan,the skeleton clock,and the weighing scales for money. The gouty chair I would say the most usful because it help people that can’t walk and I like the skeleton clock because it helps people to tell the timeand its delicate.

  8. We looked at some of inventions of John Joseph Merlin’s such as the skeleton clock, the roller skates, the gouty chair, and the waying scales.I like the invention that he made.#'[po9876trewq

  9. I thought that he is a great artist. When I first saw it I thought he was a girl because he has make up on and lots of rings.

  10. Very artistic but when I first saw it I thought it was a girl! Maybe it is how people dress in the olden days.

  11. I think the portrate look’s old and rusty.
    I think he look’s handsome because of his old fashion,curly hair.

  12. I thought it was a girl because he has women’s hair, womens clothes and make up. This is a very old picture.

  13. John Joseph Merlin looks a little like a girl because his hair is curly and he is wearing
    red lipstick

  14. At first I thought that he was a girl because of his hair.hHe’s coler looked like he had been in a fire.

  15. I thought that John Joseph Merlin was a very confident man because he was on skates playing the violin.

    1. The skeleton clock was called the skeleton clock because you can see in side of it. You can see the mechanics any way why ask is it your favourite invention?

    1. Very good question Berlin and Shazia. You’ve studied the painting closely and there is a reason. Can anyone answer this question?

    2. I think that John Joseph Merlin is putting his hand in his pocket to reach for money to show people he was rich.

      1. Hi Rene, Interesting guess but I think it might be something else. Why not look again as a class?

    3. Hi Berfin and Shazia!
      JJM was putting his hand in his pocket because he was probably getting his wallet. Very good question by the way.

      1. That’s an interesting suggestion but I think there’s another reason. What might men carry in their pockets at that time?

    1. Under the gouty chair they’re are wooden wheels and a leg rest witch is shown on some later pictures. You can go to howwick house witch is on the heath you can go there to see the gouty chair. My teacher went there and took a picture of it to show the class. We are going there as a class at the end of the term.

    1. You’re right Najma, he was a talented inventor.

      He’s not the painter though. Do you remember who is?

    2. Yes JJ M is a very thoughtful man and as talented Paninter and inventor.

      My favourite invention is the silver swan if you have seen it, or heard about it

      Do like it as well?

    3. I think the work is very nice, because John Joseph Merlin invented some great things such as the Swan.

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