2015/12/04 by Pierluigi Selvelli, P. Molaro, Selvelli, Pierluigi +1
Arts and Humanities · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Historical Astronomy and Related Studies #History and Developments in Astronomy #History and Philosophy of Physics (physics.hist-ph) #History of Science and Medicine #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Popular Physics (physics.pop-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1512.01347
openalex publication_date 2015/12/04 · openalex created_date 2022/10/01 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Ancient instruments of high interest for research on the origin and diffusion\nof early scientific devices in the late XVI - early XVII centuries are\nreproduced in three paintings by Jan Brueghel the Elder. We investigated the\nnature and the origin of these instruments, in particular the spyglass depicted\nin a painting dated 1609-1612 that represents the most ancient reproduction of\nan early spyglass, and the two sophisticated spyglasses with draw tubes that\nare reproduced in two paintings, dated 1617-1618. We suggest that these two\ninstruments may represent early examples of keplerian telescopes. Concerning\nthe other scientific instruments, namely an astrolabe, an armillary sphere, a\nnocturnal, a proportional compass, surveying instruments, a Mordente's compass,\na theodolite, etc., we point out that most of them may be associated with\nMichiel Coignet, cosmographer and instrument maker at the Court of the Archduke\nAlbert VII of Hapsburg in Brussels.\n