Giants of Delft

Download or read book Giants of Delft written by Robert D. Huerta and published by Bucknell University Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In a widely researched and deeply considered book, Huerta argues that Vermeer's use of the camera obscura and other instrumental adjuncts parallels van Leeuwenhoek's pursuit of the "optical way," and embodies a profound philosophical connection between these investigators. Analyzing Vermeer's work, Huerta shows that the artist's choices were the result of his personal response to contemporary scientific discoveries, and the work of men such as van Leeuwenhoek, Christiaan Huygens, and Galileo Galilei. Furthermore, Huerta compares Vermeer's program of informed observation to the methods used by van Leeuwenhoek and other scientists to accumulate and analyze instrument-mediated knowledge. This approach enabled Vermeer to confront the same issues as natural philosophers regarding the interpretation of unfamiliar images presented by instrumental systems."--BOOK JACKET.