thinkingthroughsources

Source 15.4: Art and Enlightenment

Public lectures on scientific topics became widespread in Europe during the eighteenth century, serving to spread the new knowledge and to bring “enlightenment” to a wider circle of people. This painting, titled A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery, by English artist Joseph Wright (1734–1797), illustrates such a presentation. The central figure in a red robe, modeled, some suggest, on the famous scientist Isaac Newton, is demonstrating the movements of the planets around the sun, using an “orrery,” a mechanical device that shows their orbits and their relationship to one another. His captivated audience includes three men, two small boys, and two girls or young women. The light source is an oil lamp, which represents the sun at the center of the solar system.

Questions to consider as you examine the source:

The kind of fascination or awe that characterizes the spectators had previously been reserved largely for witnesses to religious events. What is stimulating that sense of wonderment in this painting? Is there something quasi-religious about the scene?
What metaphorical or symbolic meaning might be attached to the illuminated faces, which contrast sharply with the surrounding darkness?
In what ways does this painting illustrate Condorcet’s vision of the role that science and reason will play in the coming age of progress and enlightenment?

Joseph Wright, A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery

Joseph Wright, A Philosopher Giving a LectureThe Orrery (ca. 1766) by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797)/Derby Museum and Art Gallery, UK/Bridgeman Images