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The Scientific Instrument as Work of Art
"O telescope, instrument of much knowledge, more precious than any scepter! Is not he who holds thee in his hand made king and lord of the works of God!"
-- - Johannes Kepler, 1611
Seventeenth-century advocates of the "new science" such as Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei believed that they could uncover the secrets of nature by analyzing the world through mathematics and its related disciplines, geometry and astronomy. Competency in these fields yielded powerful knowledge, and rulers increasingly supported the development of new equipment to aid in observation, induction, and experimentation.
From models of the solar system to tools for improving the accuracy of cannons, the courtly instruments in these galleries could help further a prince's reputation as a wise, judicious sovereign. Young princes learned to use them in preparation for the rigors of governance, some becoming respected astronomers in their own right. Ruling families employed instrument makers well into the eighteenth century, adding increasingly sophisticated mathematical, optical, and astronomical devices to their collections.
The growing popularity of scientific apparatus as symbols of might is signaled by their precious materials and sumptuous decoration. These captivating pieces served both as tools of princely self-representation and as devices for measuring -- in hopes of subsequently manipulating -- the world. |