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SUMMARY:'For the sake of ornament': iconography in Tycho Brahe's Astronomi
 ae instauratae mechanica - Emma Perkins (Department of History and Philoso
 phy of Science)
DTSTART:20140501T153000Z
DTEND:20140501T170000Z
UID:TALK51896@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Helen Curry
DESCRIPTION:In 1598\, having lost the favour of the Danish king and conseq
 uently the vast income that supported his astronomical observatories\, Tyc
 ho Brahe published his _Astronomiae instauratae mechanica_. Dedicated to H
 oly Roman Emperor Rudolph II and circulated among the highest nobility in 
 Europe\, this lavish publication provided detailed descriptions and illust
 rations of Tycho's astronomical instruments in an attempt to procure patro
 nage. These instruments have long been celebrated by historians of astrono
 my for their innovative design and capacity for precision measurement\, ye
 t their often highly decorative appearance\, apparent from the striking im
 ages provided in the _Mechanica_\, is frequently dismissed as mere ornamen
 t. By considering a selection of instruments\, I will argue that far from 
 being an irrelevant luxury\, the iconography employed by Tycho was in fact
  a vital means of self-presentation\, through which he attempted to convey
  not only his superiority as an astronomer\, but the underlying worth of h
 is endeavour. His instruments thus provided a particularly appropriate med
 ium through which to appeal for financial support. This argues for a more 
 sophisticated appreciation of Tycho's instruments and instruments in the R
 enaissance more generally\, not simply as tools of precision measurement\,
  but also as vehicles for self-expression and promotion.
LOCATION:Seminar Room 2\, Department of History and Philosophy of Science
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