Boyle's pump, which was largely designed to Boyle's specifications and constructed by Robert Hooke, was complicated, temperamental, and problematic to operate. Aside from Boyle's three pumps, there were probably no more than four others in existence during the 1660s: Christiaan Huygens had one in The Hague, Henry Power may have had one at Halifax, and there may have been pumps at Christ's College, Cambridge, and the Montmor Academy in Paris. Boyle, the son of the Earl of Cork, had no such concerns-after its construction, he donated the initial 1659 model to the Royal Society and had a further two redesigned machines built for his personal use. The air pump was invented by Otto von Guericke in 1650, though its high cost deterred most contemporary scientists from constructing the apparatus. In 1659, Robert Boyle commissioned the construction of an air pump, then described as a "pneumatic engine", which is known today as a " vacuum pump". Historical background Title page of Robert Boyle's New Experiments of 1660, in which he detailed how to perform the experiment. The central figure looks out of the picture as if inviting the viewer's participation in the outcome. The group exhibits a variety of reactions, but for most of the audience scientific curiosity overcomes concern for the bird. The painting depicts a natural philosopher, a forerunner of the modern scientist, recreating one of Robert Boyle's air pump experiments, in which a bird is deprived of air, before a varied group of onlookers. The picture has been owned by the National Gallery in London since 1863 and is regarded as a masterpiece of British art. While his paintings were recognized as exceptional by his contemporaries, his provincial status and choice of subjects meant the style was never widely imitated. Wright was intimately involved in depicting the Industrial Revolution and the scientific advances of the Enlightenment. The painting departed from convention of the time by depicting a scientific subject in the reverential manner formerly reserved for scenes of historical or religious significance. 1768 oil-on-canvas painting by Joseph Wright of DerbyĪn Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump is a 1768 oil-on-canvas painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, one of a number of candlelit scenes that Wright painted during the 1760s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |