Art and Scientific Discovery in the 1700s

 Art and Scientific Discovery in the 1700s

For this week's Clasical Art, I decided to go along the works of scientific discovery and showcase a couple of the more famous works and a more buried artist with many works of the same name but different paintings. I am pursuing a degree in a science-based field as well as a minor in art and felt an immediate connection with this topic. I wanted to delve into how these two very different areas of study have melded together to create some truly masterful art that not only tells a story about history, but also the discoveries made along the way in this era.

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Joseph Wright of Derby, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768), Derby, England

In Wright of Derby's An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, we are shown both the celebration and critique of the pursuit of knowledge in the people's faces and body language. On the left, a woman and a man are exchanging looks in a questioning manner, as if to ask if this man's experiment with the bird will really work. On the right, we see a man comforting a woman (most likely his wife) and a young girl looking quite upset as she stares at the dying bird from below. 

Now, the only real source of light comes from the lamp on the table that illuminates everyone's expressions specifically. Not a single face in this painting is not illuminated by the lamp, which lets the viewers really see everyone's reaction to the bird in this experiment. While the moon is shown in the painting, the light reflected from it is not shown to illuminate anything here. The scientist is also shown to be in a red robe, which is something that Wright tended to depict his scientists in many times throughout his works. 

Altogether, this painting has dramatic lighting that highlights key features, expressive faces and movements, emotions on both spectrums of sadness and intrigue, and a noted struggle of the fine balance between life and death represented as the bird in the experiment. 

Johan Zoffany, An Optician with His Attendant (1772), London, England

In Zoffany's An Optician with His Attendant, the very essence of this painting is palpable from the first viewing. It is a perfect example of the work that goes into creating scientific breakthroughs, the skill and craftsmanship it takes, and the knowledge of how to put everything together properly. 

The realism and details in this painting are reflected in the workshop and the humans themselves, with an emphasis on an observational view. The optician is staring right at us, the viewer, while his attendant seems either unknowing about us or uncaring that we are here while he focuses on the optician. The optician is portrayed as a figure of expertise and innovation, embodying the combination of both craftsmanship and scientific knowledge of this era. 

Speaking of the era, while it is the classical era for art, it is also the Enlightenment Era in history where great scientific progress was made for mankind. This can be seen in this painting here, where Zoffany not only captures a moment in time where science is being practiced but also appreciated. This perfectly encapsulated this era of time where practicing sciences was at an all-time high. 

David Teniers the Younger, The Alchemist (ca. 1643–45), Southern Netherland

In Teniers' The Alchemist,  the essence of scientific exploration is captured on canvas, blending both the mind's intellectual curiosity and the hands-on experimentation of the alchemist. This painting highlights the tools that an alchemist would use and shows how knowledge and skill go hand in hand, with the alchemist fully immersed in his study as an attendant manages the fires in the background. 

The detailed depiction of the alchemist’s lab puts us in his world, with an emphasis on the dedication and focus that is needed for alchemy. The tools are just as important as the skills that an alchemist needs to carefully craft their chemicals. 

A fun fact about alchemy is that it is the precursor to modern chemistry. So, throughout the centuries, artists have been capturing not only the discoveries of science but the evolution of it as well. This is reflected in the classical era of art as the enlightenment era, where science is striving for the first time in centuries, with new breakthroughs every day.

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While I do find the second and third paintings charming in their own rights, the type of painting that they are does not fight what I deem as a work of art I would enjoy. The first painting is one I might actually want to have in a study in my house, as it gives off a feeling of foreboding with the strong lighting against the faces and the contrast of the dark being even stronger. I like how crisp the emotions are in the first painting, as they elicit a feeling of dread in me like the women are experiencing. The bird is clearly suffering while the men are pushing past its limits for science. 

It would be most appropriate for each painting to be placed under the care of a museum gallery for the public to view whenever they please. It would also do good, as students would be able to view this point in history and get a better grasp about this period from these paintings. 

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Citations:

"Alchemy and Science in Making Marvels." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 4 Feb. 2020, https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/alchemy-science-making-marvels.

Carstensen, Sarah. "Art and Scientific Discovery in the 1700s." Sarah Carstensen, 6 Mar. 2015, https://sarahcarstensen.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/art-and-scientific-discovery-in-the-1700s/.

"David Teniers the Younger, The Alchemist (1643/45)." Cabinet, University of Oxford, https://www.cabinet.ox.ac.uk/david-teniers-younger-alchemist-164345. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Hoenig, Howard Oakley. "Art and Science 3: Enlightenment." The Eclectic Light Company, 5 Jan. 2022, https://eclecticlight.co/2022/01/05/art-and-science-3-enlightenment/.

"Science Becomes Art." Art in Society, https://www.artinsociety.com/science-becomes-art.html. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.