The Eye of the Lynx: Galileo, His Friends, and the Beginnings of Modern Natural History
- ISBN-10
- 0226261530
- ISBN-13
- 9780226261539
- Category
- Science
- Pages
- 528
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2003-08-01
- Publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- Author
- David Freedberg
Description
Some years ago, David Freedberg opened a dusty cupboard at Windsor Castle and discovered hundreds of vividly colored, masterfully precise drawings of all sorts of plants and animals from the Old and New Worlds. Coming upon thousands more drawings like them across Europe, Freedberg finally traced them all back to a little-known scientific organization from seventeenth-century Italy called the Academy of Linceans (or Lynxes). Founded by Prince Federico Cesi in 1603, the Linceans took as their task nothing less than the documentation and classification of all of nature in pictorial form. In this first book-length study of the Linceans to appear in English, Freedberg focuses especially on their unprecedented use of drawings based on microscopic observation and other new techniques of visualization. Where previous thinkers had classified objects based mainly on similarities of external appearance, the Linceans instead turned increasingly to sectioning, dissection, and observation of internal structures. They applied their new research techniques to an incredible variety of subjects, from the objects in the heavens studied by their most famous (and infamous) member Galileo Galilei—whom they supported at the most critical moments of his career—to the flora and fauna of Mexico, bees, fossils, and the reproduction of plants and fungi. But by demonstrating the inadequacy of surface structures for ordering the world, the Linceans unwittingly planted the seeds for the demise of their own favorite method—visual description-as a mode of scientific classification. Profusely illustrated and engagingly written, Eye of the Lynx uncovers a crucial episode in the development of visual representation and natural history. And perhaps as important, it offers readers a dazzling array of early modern drawings, from magnificently depicted birds and flowers to frogs in amber, monstrously misshapen citrus fruits, and more.
Get the book
Similar books
-
Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic and Biological Chemistry
By Karen C. TimberlakeThis new edition introduces more problem-solving strategies and new conceptual and challenge problems. Also, each Chapter Review has been enhanced with Learning Goals to reinforce the mastery of concepts for students.
-
Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
By Karen TimberlakeThis laboratory manual contains 42 experiments for the standard sequence of topics in general, organic, and biological chemistry.
-
Basic Chemistry
By Karen C. TimberlakeThe book guides students through basic chemistry problem solving with engaging visuals and a focus on developing the math skills necessary to be successful in the course.
-
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry: Structures of Life, eBook, Global Edition
By Karen C. TimberlakeThe full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either ...
-
Basic Chemistry
By Karen C. Timberlake, William E. TimberlakeBasic Chemistry
-
Basic Chemistry, Books a la Carte Edition
By Karen C. TimberlakeBasic Chemistry, Books a la Carte Edition
-
Essential Laboratory Manual for General, Organic and Biological Chemistry
By Karen C. TimberlakeEssential Laboratory Manual for General, Organic and Biological Chemistry
-
Basic Chemistry, Global Edition
By Karen C. Timberlake, Bill TimberlakeThe main objective in writing this text is to make the study of chemistry an engaging and a positive experience for students by relating the structure and behaviour of matter to real life.
-
General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry: An Integrated Approach
By Karen C. Timberlake, Laura D. Frost, Todd S. DealThe eText pages look exactly like the printed text, and include powerful interactive and customization functions. This is the product access code card for MasteringChemistry with Pearson eText and does not include the actual bound book.
-
Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
By Karen C. TimberlakeHealth, Environmental, and Green Chemistry Notes throughout the text relate chemistry chapters to real-life topics in health, the environment, and medicine that are interesting and motivating to students.