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:

Joseph Wright, A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery

image
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