By: Ellen Reeves Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Princeton Univ Pr Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 336 Publication Date: July 07, 1997
Product Description: "Painting the Heavens is a joy to read. It is beautifully written, with clarity, graceful style, and subtle wit. It will be a revelation to historians of science and art, and should also be of great interest to students of Italian cultural history and the Counter Reformation."--Noel M. Swerdlow, The University of Chicago
The remarkable astronomical discoveries made by Galileo with the new telescope in 1609-10 led to his famous disputes with philosophers and religious authorities, most of whom found their doctrines threatened by his evidence for Copernicus's heliocentric universe. In this book, Eileen Reeves brings an art historical perspective to this story as she explores the impact of Galileo's heavenly observations on painters of the early seventeenth century.
Many seventeenth-century painters turned to astronomical pastimes and to the depiction of new discoveries in their work, yet some of these findings imposed controversial changes in their use of religious iconography. For example, Galileo's discovery of the moon's rough topography and the reasons behind its "secondary light" meant rethinking the imagery surrounding the Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception, which had long been represented in paintings by the appearance of a smooth, incandescent moon. By examining a group of paintings by early modern artists all interested in Galileo's evidence for a Copernican system, Reeves not only traces the influence of science on painting in terms of optics and content, but also reveals the painters in a conflict between artistic depiction and dogmatic representation.
Reeves offers a close analysis of seven works by Lodovico Cigoli, Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco Pacheco, and Diego Velazquez. She places these artists at the center of the astronomical debate, showing that both before and after the invention of the telescope, the proper evaluation of phenomena such as moon spots and the aurora borealis was commonly considered the province of the painter. Because these scientific hypotheses were complicated by their connection to Catholic doctrine, Reeves examines how the relationship between science and art, and their mutual production of knowledge and authority, must themselves be seen in a broader context of theological and political struggle.
Painting the Heavens Eileen Reeves has created a portrait of Galileo the artist-scientist that is complex and and worth a long look. I was not familiar with Galileo the artist, and her story includes memorable tidbits that add another dimension to his life. For example, Galileo's dislike of pietre dure, or portraits that were mosaics of polished minerals, and his study of the illumination of the Moon convincingly show that Galileo had an artistic sensibility that influenced his scientific observations. Reeves conclusions may be stretched, but they are worthwhile debating. The writing is not easy, the book wanders and is repetitious, but a careful read will pay off with a new understanding of a giant of the Renaissance and subsequent Scientific Revolution.
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