Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

Recommendations

Info

Chapelain was needed. A repetitive pattern can be seen in the different occasions where Christiaan received the aid of his father or other courtiers 322 when very important matters at court needed to be arranged – such as audiences with Colbert or Louis XIV or letters to monarchs. In short, Christiaan Huygens Jr. learned how to move and survive in the elevated layers of society, and this acquired ability was just as much a part of his personality and career as his scientific genius was. In fact, throughout his youth until well in his twenties, this courtly dimension was probably more relevant with regard to Christiaan Jr.’s professional outlook, for it seems that his father, Constantijn Sr., kept his ambitions for his son within this field. Though perhaps ironic, the important steering role of his father, pushing Christiaan Jr. into courtly and diplomatic social surroundings, created the boundary conditions for the establishment and perseverance of Christiaan’s natural scientific work, name and position within, notably, the Parisian courtly scene. One important element of Christiaan Jr.’s work and fame during his early years in Paris was formed by his work on scientific instruments – a subject that fitted the courtly and diplomatic surroundings very well and that will be investigated in the following chapter. schedule during his second trip to Paris HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. III, No. 844 (Feb. 1661). Christiaan’s correspondence does not show significant other frictions on manner-related issues. 322 See for instance the way in which Chapelain helped Christiaan to prepare for his audience with Colbert after receiving his pension (See Chapter VIII, section i). 94
VII. The Business of Instruments – a Team at Work My father desires to have a telescope, bigger than the one that my brother [Constantijn Jr.] has made for him, […], you can have the other if you want, because I know better than to give it to someone else, because of the secret of the invention. Christiaan Huygens to Lodewijk Huygens – Oeuvres Complètes, Vol. IV, No 1058 – Sept. 7, 1662 323 i. 1655 – 1665: Huygens & Scientific instruments The emphasis of historians of science in their study of Christiaan Huygens’s work has – as has been the case with many other contemporary mathematicians, natural philosophers and experimental philosophers – long been on his “pure” mathematics, physics and astronomy. Though increasingly the focus has shifted from the high, abstract sciences to praxis (the actual practice of the – mechanical and instrumental – sciences), there remains substantial terra incognita. For instance, who knows that Christiaan was actively involved in the invention of new, quick post-coaches and comfortable coaches and tried to obtain privileges for them at different courts throughout Europe? 324 Furthermore, Huygens’s crucial role in the development of the air pump has received little attention except for two important studies 325 – 323 “Mon Pere desire d’avoir une lunette plus grande que celle que mon frere [Constantijn Jr.] luy a faite, la quelle seconde, lors qu’elle sera venue, vous aurez l’autre si vous voulez, car d’en faire present a quelqu’autre il n’a garde, a cause du secret de l’invention.” 324 There has been published on this subject, though very little compared to Huygens’s other work: JANSEN, P. (1951) Les carrosses à cinq sols de Christian Huygens. Revue d'histoire des sciences, 4, 171-2., TERRIER, M. (1986) L'invention des ressort de voiture. Revue d'histoire des sciences, 39, 17-30., VAN GENT, R. H. & VAN HELDEN, A. C. (1995) Een vernuftig geleerde: De technische vondsten van Christiaan Huygens. Museum Boerhaave Mededeling. Leiden, Museum Boerhave., 325 STROUP, A. (1981) Christiaan Huygens & the Development of the Air Pump. Janus: Revue Internationale de l'Histoire des Sciences, de la Médecine et de la Technique, 68, 129-58.; and SHAPIN, S. & SCHAFFER, S. (1985) Leviathan and the air-pump : Hobbes, Boyle, and the experimental life : including a translation of Thomas Hobbes, Dialogus physicus de natura aeris by Simon Schaffer, Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press., p225-282 bring into picture an almost forgotten episode in Huygens’s work. Huygens’s work on the microscope and the magical lantern has also received comparatively little attention: FOURNIER, M. (2003) Early Microscopes: A Descriptive Catalogue. Museum Boerhaave Communication, nr. 300. Leiden, Museum Boerhaave.; FOURNIER, M. (1989) Huygens' Design for a Simple Microscope. Annals of Science, 46, 575-96., FOURNIER, M. (1981) Huygens' microscopical Researches. Janus, 68, 199-209.; ROOSEBOOM, M. (1958) Christiaan Huygens et la microscopie. Archives nêerlandaises de zoologie [= Mededelingen uit het Rijksmuseum voor de Geschiedenis der Natuurwetenschappen, nr. 105], 12/13, 59-73. and on the magical lantern: WAGENAAR, W. A. (1979) The True Inventor of the Magic Lantern: Kircher, Walgenstein or Huygens? Janus, 66, 193-207. 95
Page 1 and 2:
Christiaan Huygens - A family affai
Page 3 and 4:
Abstract Christiaan Huygens - A fam
Page 5 and 6:
present-day patent (the monopoly on
Page 7 and 8:
Court, Constantijn Sr. requested th
Page 9 and 10:
court, diplomacy and natural philos
Page 11 and 12:
II. A “Grand Tour” de Force in
Page 13 and 14:
opportunity to see the world, learn
Page 15 and 16:
A same strategic use of his musical
Page 17 and 18:
Constantijn’s objective - putting
Page 19 and 20:
authorities out- and inside the Rep
Page 21 and 22:
Barendrecht argues, the foreign min
Page 23 and 24:
Constantijn Sr. may have encountere
Page 25 and 26:
patronage of different ambassadors
Page 27 and 28:
could be employed in that context v
Page 29 and 30:
involved social and material benefi
Page 31 and 32:
Council of States (Raad van State)
Page 33 and 34:
From Huygens’s defense it shows t
Page 35 and 36:
“honesty”), thus inviting the r
Page 37 and 38:
this constituted but a relative sma
Page 39 and 40:
1627 to approximately f 300.000 in
Page 41 and 42:
Orange - which itself in turn showe
Page 43 and 44: correspondence with and poems for h
Page 45 and 46: advice to the Stadholder. 139 This
Page 47 and 48: Post) by its natural inclusion in t
Page 49 and 50: Amongst the highest of the bourgeoi
Page 51 and 52: In many ways, Constantijn Sr. was p
Page 53 and 54: and England refused the diplomatic
Page 55 and 56: knowledge of the natural sciences.
Page 57 and 58: Constantijn Sr. used in his writing
Page 59 and 60: make “dry” matter more interest
Page 61 and 62: emphasized by Erasmus and Castiglio
Page 63 and 64: the seemingly dominant position for
Page 65 and 66: prominent role in the rest of their
Page 67 and 68: within the Dutch aristocracy throug
Page 69 and 70: Importantly, Constantijn Sr. made s
Page 71 and 72: applications he would later give th
Page 73 and 74: Marquis de Chambonière, Vicquefort
Page 75 and 76: donated his books to many of his no
Page 77 and 78: Christiana presented his evidence o
Page 79 and 80: VI. Zulekoms at Court Three galas i
Page 81 and 82: the father’s plans for Christiaan
Page 83 and 84: It seems likely that the father sti
Page 85 and 86: the summer of 1655 - first to Paris
Page 87 and 88: laudatory verse of Constantijn Sr.
Page 89 and 90: and sharing them with his brothers.
Page 91 and 92: appearances. Widely available and m
Page 93: than its literary value, may explai
Page 97 and 98: at many points the whole family Huy
Page 99 and 100: ii. Making and distributing instrum
Page 101 and 102: England in November 1658 346 and wa
Page 103 and 104: clocks. 357 Generally, the role of
Page 105 and 106: moment for these events. 363 As Huy
Page 107 and 108: the Zulichems, Father and Son: all
Page 109 and 110: from a repentant Petit himself, he
Page 111 and 112: VIII. Patronage and its Privileges
Page 113 and 114: You have acted wisely by not awaiti
Page 115 and 116: texts and inventions did vary a gre
Page 117 and 118: getting a privilege with the French
Page 119 and 120: operation” of Constantijn Sr. and
Page 121 and 122: observations. It is not true that C
Page 123 and 124: Appendix A The following list of bo
Page 125 and 126: Appendix B The following list of bo
Page 127 and 128: Folios - imprints of palaces, garde
Page 129 and 130: dans l’histoire………………
Page 131 and 132: BRUGMANS, H. L. & HUYGENS, C. (1935
Page 133 and 134: KAISER, F. (1846) Iets over de kijk
Page 135: SLIVE, S. & REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON V
show all

Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?