Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories

This article looks at the interface between art, science, and design by considering the role of microscopes, the visualisation of microorganisms and British mid-nineteenth century design theories. In particular, it examines the dialogue between microscopical arranged slides that became popular in th...

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Autor principal:	Ariane Varela Braga
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Yale University 2021
Materias:	Fine Arts N Arts in general NX1-820
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/d2f7a82333c5489596244a0f4e3b8a83
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:d2f7a82333c5489596244a0f4e3b8a832021-12-01T10:50:13ZMicroorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories10.17658/issn.2058-5462/issue-21/avbraga2058-5462https://doaj.org/article/d2f7a82333c5489596244a0f4e3b8a832021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/issue-index/issue-21/microorganisms-microscopes-an-victorian-design-theorieshttps://doaj.org/toc/2058-5462This article looks at the interface between art, science, and design by considering the role of microscopes, the visualisation of microorganisms and British mid-nineteenth century design theories. In particular, it examines the dialogue between microscopical arranged slides that became popular in the second half of the century and the design theories of Owen Jones, diffused through the seminal Grammar of Ornament and the South Kensington system. Whereas the scientific observation of plants and their role in the development of guiding principles of ornament has attracted the attention of scholars, especially in relation to the Department of Science and Art, the intersections between the “microscope mania”, the material culture of microscopy, and design theories have been overlooked. Through the lenses of the microscope, a new world was revealed that potentially exposed general laws of harmony in form and colour. Coinciding with the emergence of microbial biology, the microscope was looked at as a tool for the renewal of the decorative arts. At the crossroads between art and science, the popular production of arranged slides both confirmed and performed the principles of ornament, at a time when both the visualisation of these principles and the transcription of microscopic observation shared common practices.Ariane Varela BragaYale UniversityarticleFine ArtsNArts in generalNX1-820ENBritish Art Studies, Iss 21 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Fine Arts N Arts in general NX1-820
spellingShingle	Fine Arts N Arts in general NX1-820 Ariane Varela Braga Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories
description	This article looks at the interface between art, science, and design by considering the role of microscopes, the visualisation of microorganisms and British mid-nineteenth century design theories. In particular, it examines the dialogue between microscopical arranged slides that became popular in the second half of the century and the design theories of Owen Jones, diffused through the seminal Grammar of Ornament and the South Kensington system. Whereas the scientific observation of plants and their role in the development of guiding principles of ornament has attracted the attention of scholars, especially in relation to the Department of Science and Art, the intersections between the “microscope mania”, the material culture of microscopy, and design theories have been overlooked. Through the lenses of the microscope, a new world was revealed that potentially exposed general laws of harmony in form and colour. Coinciding with the emergence of microbial biology, the microscope was looked at as a tool for the renewal of the decorative arts. At the crossroads between art and science, the popular production of arranged slides both confirmed and performed the principles of ornament, at a time when both the visualisation of these principles and the transcription of microscopic observation shared common practices.
format	article
author	Ariane Varela Braga
author_facet	Ariane Varela Braga
author_sort	Ariane Varela Braga
title	Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories
title_short	Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories
title_full	Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories
title_fullStr	Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories
title_full_unstemmed	Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories
title_sort	microorganisms, microscopes, and victorian design theories
publisher	Yale University
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/d2f7a82333c5489596244a0f4e3b8a83
work_keys_str_mv	AT arianevarelabraga microorganismsmicroscopesandvictoriandesigntheories
_version_	1718405262199488512

Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories

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