end notes
science becomes art
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[1] For a detailed history of nighttime, “the forgotten half of history”, see A Roger Ekirch, At Day’s Close: A History of Nighttime, Weidenfield & Nicholson, London, 2005.
[2] “found it good”: Gen 1:4; “light which is life”: John 8:12; “Satan to God”: Acts 26:18; “wicked”: Prov 4:19; “unfruitful”: Ephesians 5:11; “armour of light”: Romans 13:12.
[3] Another typical clue in some paintings was the inclusion of a sleeping person.
[4] See Florian Heine, “The First Painting of a Nighttime Scene”, The First Time: Innovations in Art, Bucher, Munich 2007, at 22-27.
[5] Luke 2 v 8-9.
[6] Heine, op cit.
[7] John 18:6.
[8] Heine, op cit at 26. Gentile da Fabriano's Nativity predella panel from the Stozzi Altarpiece (1423) is also a notable nighttime scene, though with no attempt to portray the sky accurately. For another early realistic example, see Geertgen tot Sint Jans The Nativity at Night (1490)'.
[9] Waldemar Januszcak, “Great painters brought night to the nativity”, The Sunday Times, 23/12/2010, accessed at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/great-painters-brought-night-to-the-nativity/story-e6frg8n6-1225975159027
[10] The word “scientist” was not used until 1834.
[11] The Lunar Society was so-named because it met monthly on the Monday nearest the full moon: Jenny Uglow, The Lunar Men, Faber and Faber, London, 2002, at xiii.
[12] Uglow, op cit at xiv; see also Benedict Nicolson, Joseph Wright of Derby, Painter of Light, Pantheon, 1968, and David Fraser, "Joseph Wright of Derby and the Lunar Society", in Judy Egerton, Wright of Derby (Exh Cat), Tate Gallery, London 1990 at 15-24..
[13] Francis D Klingender, Art and the Industrial Revolution, Paladin, London, 1968, at 46 ff.
[14] Klingender, op cit.
[15] A notable exception is provided by Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1631).
[16] This was probably Hennig Brand, in 1669: see generally Janet Vertesi, “Light and Enlightenment in Joseph Wright of Derby’s The Alchymist”, Paper delivered at Romanticism and the Midlands Enlightenment Conference, Birmingham, UK, July 3, 2004.
[17] Wright’s The Blacksmith’s Shop 1771 also appears to be set in the interior of a church.
[18] Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen, “A star machine explains the heavens”, What Great Paintings Say, Vol 1, Taschen, Cologne, 2003, Vol 1 at 327.
[19] The machine gets its name from the Earl of Orrery, who commissioned the original construction in the early 18th century: Hagen, op cit.The philosopher in the painting actually rather resembles the real life Newton (see Egerton, op cit at 54)..
[20] A similar comment could be made about Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson]: see note 15.
[21] Richard Holmes, The Age of Wonder, Harper Press, London, 2008, at 303.
[22] As in the Alchymist, the unnatural brilliance of the light source is underlined by the contrast with the natural light of the pale moon shown through the window on the right.
[22a] Fraser, op cit at 19.
[23] David Hockney, Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters. New York, Studio Books, 2001, at 129.
[24] Klingender, op cit at 46-7.
[25] Gen 1:26-28.
[26] Numbers 22:32.
[27] See generally William McCarthy, Anna Letitia Barbauld: Voice of the Enlightenment, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 2008.
[28] After a long period of neglect, Babauld’s extraordinary life and achievements have been rediscovered in recent years. In general, the extent of female involvement in intellectual life during this period has often been overlooked: Hagen, op cit at 330. In France, for example, the mathematician the Marquise du Chatelet translated Newton’s works into French: see David Bodanis, Passionate Minds: The Great Enlightenment Love Affair, Little Brown, London, 2006.
[29] Mary Ellen Bellanca, “Science, Animal Sympathy, and Anna Barbauld’s ‘the Mouse’s Petition’.” Eighteenth-Century Studies 37.1 (2003): 47-67.
[30] Bellanca, op cit.
[31] Holmes, op cit at 303.
[32] Vertesi, op cit. Science was also described as "the light of truth" in Akenside's poem Hymn to Science (1744).
[33] Though it was actually painted last of the three paintings being discussed.
© Philip McCouat 2015, 2018
Mode of citation: Philip McCouat, "Science becomes Art", Journal of Art in Society, www.artinsociety.com
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[1] For a detailed history of nighttime, “the forgotten half of history”, see A Roger Ekirch, At Day’s Close: A History of Nighttime, Weidenfield & Nicholson, London, 2005.
[2] “found it good”: Gen 1:4; “light which is life”: John 8:12; “Satan to God”: Acts 26:18; “wicked”: Prov 4:19; “unfruitful”: Ephesians 5:11; “armour of light”: Romans 13:12.
[3] Another typical clue in some paintings was the inclusion of a sleeping person.
[4] See Florian Heine, “The First Painting of a Nighttime Scene”, The First Time: Innovations in Art, Bucher, Munich 2007, at 22-27.
[5] Luke 2 v 8-9.
[6] Heine, op cit.
[7] John 18:6.
[8] Heine, op cit at 26. Gentile da Fabriano's Nativity predella panel from the Stozzi Altarpiece (1423) is also a notable nighttime scene, though with no attempt to portray the sky accurately. For another early realistic example, see Geertgen tot Sint Jans The Nativity at Night (1490)'.
[9] Waldemar Januszcak, “Great painters brought night to the nativity”, The Sunday Times, 23/12/2010, accessed at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/great-painters-brought-night-to-the-nativity/story-e6frg8n6-1225975159027
[10] The word “scientist” was not used until 1834.
[11] The Lunar Society was so-named because it met monthly on the Monday nearest the full moon: Jenny Uglow, The Lunar Men, Faber and Faber, London, 2002, at xiii.
[12] Uglow, op cit at xiv; see also Benedict Nicolson, Joseph Wright of Derby, Painter of Light, Pantheon, 1968, and David Fraser, "Joseph Wright of Derby and the Lunar Society", in Judy Egerton, Wright of Derby (Exh Cat), Tate Gallery, London 1990 at 15-24..
[13] Francis D Klingender, Art and the Industrial Revolution, Paladin, London, 1968, at 46 ff.
[14] Klingender, op cit.
[15] A notable exception is provided by Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (1631).
[16] This was probably Hennig Brand, in 1669: see generally Janet Vertesi, “Light and Enlightenment in Joseph Wright of Derby’s The Alchymist”, Paper delivered at Romanticism and the Midlands Enlightenment Conference, Birmingham, UK, July 3, 2004.
[17] Wright’s The Blacksmith’s Shop 1771 also appears to be set in the interior of a church.
[18] Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen, “A star machine explains the heavens”, What Great Paintings Say, Vol 1, Taschen, Cologne, 2003, Vol 1 at 327.
[19] The machine gets its name from the Earl of Orrery, who commissioned the original construction in the early 18th century: Hagen, op cit.The philosopher in the painting actually rather resembles the real life Newton (see Egerton, op cit at 54)..
[20] A similar comment could be made about Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson]: see note 15.
[21] Richard Holmes, The Age of Wonder, Harper Press, London, 2008, at 303.
[22] As in the Alchymist, the unnatural brilliance of the light source is underlined by the contrast with the natural light of the pale moon shown through the window on the right.
[22a] Fraser, op cit at 19.
[23] David Hockney, Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters. New York, Studio Books, 2001, at 129.
[24] Klingender, op cit at 46-7.
[25] Gen 1:26-28.
[26] Numbers 22:32.
[27] See generally William McCarthy, Anna Letitia Barbauld: Voice of the Enlightenment, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 2008.
[28] After a long period of neglect, Babauld’s extraordinary life and achievements have been rediscovered in recent years. In general, the extent of female involvement in intellectual life during this period has often been overlooked: Hagen, op cit at 330. In France, for example, the mathematician the Marquise du Chatelet translated Newton’s works into French: see David Bodanis, Passionate Minds: The Great Enlightenment Love Affair, Little Brown, London, 2006.
[29] Mary Ellen Bellanca, “Science, Animal Sympathy, and Anna Barbauld’s ‘the Mouse’s Petition’.” Eighteenth-Century Studies 37.1 (2003): 47-67.
[30] Bellanca, op cit.
[31] Holmes, op cit at 303.
[32] Vertesi, op cit. Science was also described as "the light of truth" in Akenside's poem Hymn to Science (1744).
[33] Though it was actually painted last of the three paintings being discussed.
© Philip McCouat 2015, 2018
Mode of citation: Philip McCouat, "Science becomes Art", Journal of Art in Society, www.artinsociety.com
If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy The emergence of the winter landscape
We welcome your comments on this article
Back to HOME