St John's College was founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas White, a wealthy London merchant. He was Master of the Merchant Taylors' Company, and established a number of educational foundations including the Merchant Taylors' schools. Today, St John's is home to approximately 390 undergraduates, 250 graduate students, 100 fellows and 25 College lecturers. Nearly every subject studied at the University is represented at St John's. The College’s collection of pictures mostly consists of portraits of former Presidents, Fellows and distinguished alumni and benefactors (including several portraits of the Founder and of a notable seventeenth-century benefactor, Sir William Paddy). It also contains some pieces by old masters, including Jan Breughel the elder, Bartolomeo Neroni, Abel Grimmer, Jan van Scorel, Bartholomaeus Bruyn the elder and Cornelis de Zeeuw, as well as some later acquisitions. The paintings are dispersed around the College and are for the most part not on public display, but can be accessed for academic study. Those interested should apply to the Keeper of College Pictures.