Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS – A FAMILY AFFAIR.......................................................................................1
ABSTRACT..........................................................................................................................................................3
I. INTRODUCTION: LOUIS XIV’S GIFTS – BADGES OF HONOR........................................................................4
PART ONE. FASHIONING A FAMILY AT THE COURT OF ORANGE............................................10
II. A “GRAND TOUR” DE FORCE IN SELF-FASHIONING..............................................................................11
i. From The Hague to Oxford – the usefulness of music and poetry ......................................................12
ii. Early self-fashioning through the eyes of a honnête homme..............................................................15
iii. “The perfect Courtier” – a natural authority ....................................................................................19
iv. A “qualité extérieure” – Patronage and the making of an English Knight......................................24
III. PRINCELY “FRIENDSHIP” .....................................................................................................................28
i. Chains of “Love,” “Affection” and “Friendship”...............................................................................29
ii. Seeing through linguistic fog ................................................................................................................33
iii. The social and professional possibilities of gift-giving .....................................................................38
iv. The love for three Oranges embodied; building a court...................................................................48
PART TWO – FASHIONING A COURTIER-MATHEMATICIAN: A FAMILY AFFAIR ..............54
IV. THE CURRICULUM AND ETHICS OF A YOUNG HUYGENS .....................................................................56
i. The curriculum – erudition from father to sons....................................................................................58
ii. “Survivance” through judgment, style & standing .............................................................................60
iii. Team play: realization of the self and the family ...............................................................................62
V. THE HONORABLE ART OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION & PUBLICATION ........................................66
i. Aristocratic networking..........................................................................................................................66
ii. Using and profiting from international communication-networks.....................................................68
iii. Systema Saturnium: the strategic fashioning of a young courtier-mathematician ..........................75
VI. ZULEKOMS AT COURT..........................................................................................................................79
i. A false start? ...........................................................................................................................................80
ii. Attempt nr 2? .........................................................................................................................................84
iii. Ethos and aesthetics.............................................................................................................................90
VII. THE BUSINESS OF INSTRUMENTS – A TEAM AT WORK ..........................................................................95
i. 1655 – 1665: Huygens & Scientific instruments ..................................................................................95
ii. Making and distributing instruments ...................................................................................................99
iii. Experimental showing........................................................................................................................104
VIII. PATRONAGE AND ITS PRIVILEGES – COURTING A KING ................................................................111
i. First moves – Christiaan Jr.’s regale..................................................................................................112
ii. Moving closer – the King’s privilege for the pendulum clock..........................................................114
iii. Success – Founding member of the Académie Royale des Sciences...............................................118
IX. CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................................120
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................................................122
APPENDIX A...................................................................................................................................................123
APPENDIX B ...................................................................................................................................................125
APPENDIX C ...................................................................................................................................................128
BIBLIOGRAPHY.........................................................................................................................................130
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