Portraying scientists: Galileo and perceptual portraiture

By Nicolas Wade

Perceptual portraits represent people in an unconventional style. The portraits themselves are not always easy to discern – the viewer needs to apply the power of perception in order to extract the facial features from the design which carries them. The aim is both artistic and historical. They generally consist of two elements – the portrait and some appropriate motif. The nature of the latter depends upon the endeavours for which the portrayed person is known. In some cases the motif is drawn specifically to display a phenomenon associated with the individual, in others it is derived from a figure or text in one of their books, or apparatus which they invented.

These portraits and motifs have themselves been manipulated in a variety of ways, using graphical, photographical, and computer graphical procedures. I believe that such perceptual portraits both attract attention and engage the spectator’s interest to a greater degree than do conventional representations. It is hoped that this visual intrigue enhances the viewer’s desire to discover why particular motifs have been adopted, and in turn to learn more about the persons portrayed: it is intended to be an instance of art serving science.




The renaissance of anatomy by Nicholas Wade
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Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), whose 500th anniversary will be widely celebrated this year, is shown in his diagram of the base of the brain.

Galileo’s world by Nicholas Wade
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We should keep our eye on February 15th, 2014 which marks the 450th anniversary of Galileo’s birth in Pisa. This is marked symbolically in the final image; it is a combination of Galileo’s statue that stands at the rear of the Aula Magna Storica at the University of Pisa and a detail of his painted portrait. He holds the world in his hand and examines it with his eye.

Galileo’s vision by Nicholas Wade
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Galileo’s piercing eye by Nicholas Wade
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The perceptual portrait below emphasises Galileo’s eye. The detail of his right eye is derived from Sustermans’ portrait of him and it is piercing the title page of Sidereus nuncius.

Galileo’s allegory by Nicholas Wade
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Galileo was attuned to art and distinguished artists were among his friends so it was deemed appropriate to present his visage in a variety of ways. In addition, Galileo displayed an acute awareness of visual phenomena like contrast effects as well as appreciating the deceptions of the senses. It was not only the telescope that he used with such skill but his eye also.

Nicolas Wade is co-author, with Marco Piccolino, of Galileo’s Visions: Piercing the spheres of the heavens by eye and mind. They have also presented a broader spectrum of perceptual portraits that trace the history of neuroscience from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.

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Image credit: Nicolas Wade and Marco Piccolino

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