skip to content

Astronomical Images : The elementary qualities and their combinations

Oronce Fine

Astronomical Images

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Oronce Fine (1494-1555) was a prolific author on mathematics, instruments and astronomy, among other things, and held, from 1531, the chair of mathematics at the newly established Collège Royal (known since 1870 as the Collège de France) in Paris. He is credited with the promotion of mathematics through his numerous publications and instruments. He also made and sold his own instruments, encouraged others to make their own by cutting out pages from his practical manuals, and worked as editor and overseer in printing houses. Fine published on a range of topics, and was interested in practical concerns as well as abstract debates, so while he is remembered for theoretical achievements, such as giving the value of pi correct to four significant figures, he also worked extensively with instruments and maps. While traditionally Fine's competence as a mathematician has been questioned, recent assessments have emphasised how he represented Renaissance mathematical culture, encompassing geometry, surveying, optics, cosmography, cartography, and astronomy. In cartography, Fine produced a cordiform, or heart-shaped, projection which was often used by later map-makers. The <i>Protomathesis</i> is Fine's magnum opus, published in 1532 in order to set out his contribution (present and future) for the advancement of mathematics in France. Comprised of four textbooks, the <i>Protomathesis</i> resembled a monumental epitome. Its content was relatively original and, above all, it adopted a new style in illustration and typographical design. Much of the material in this book formed the basis of Fine's abundant subsequent publications. The <i>Protomathesis</i> thus played an important role in establishing a Parisian tradition of mathematical textbooks. While many of the images included in the <i>Protomathesis</i> belong to the traditional iconography of the sphere, Fine also introduced a variety of figures that reflected his interest in natural philosophy. This diagram (top) is a particularly important example. It sets out the elementary qualities and their combinations according to Aristotelian physics. Significantly, Fine has signed it with his emblem, the crowned dolphin, visible in the centre of the figure. Despite this addition, the image remains predominantly geometrical, consistent with the majority of Fine's illustrations.</p>


Want to know more?

Under the 'More' menu you can find , and information about sharing this image.

No Contents List Available
No Metadata Available

Share

If you want to share this page with others you can send them a link to this individual page:
Alternatively please share this page on social media

You can also embed the viewer into your own website or blog using the code below: