Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and Science

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Cambridge University Press, Nov 13, 1999 - Art - 383 pages
Fire in the Sky collects many representations of comets and meteors in Britain during the eighteen and nineteenth century when a large number of works inspired by these celestial objects were produced. Over 100 photographs--and two sections of luscious color plates--beautifully portray the inspired output of some of the world's most talented artists, fully capturing the phenomenon that obsessed not only a nation but an era as well. Olson and Pasachoff reveal the many different ways that comets and meteors have appeared in paintings and literature and link these works to the achievements of British science in the wake of Newton and Halley. They also examine the different symbolism that writers and artists have attached to these spectacular objects. Throughout, Fire in the Sky conveys how the development of new technologies, and the burgeoning interest of the general public in science and art, dovetailed with an interest in nature and a strong literary tradition of comet and meteor symbolism. Beautifully illustrated and packed with engaging stories, this book will delight anyone with an interest in the art and astronomy of comets.

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Contents

Prelude The Beginning of Telescopic Astronomy and the Background of British Astronomy and Artistic Traditions
17
The Heavens on Fire The Eighteenth Century
37
The CometCrazed Century Opens
109
The Triumph of Realism
179
Donatis Comet the Watershed
227
The Origin oAPPENDIX If Comet and Meteor Photography
245
The Triumph of the Imagination
263
Comets and the New Century
309
Comets and the New Millennium
317
Appendices
331
Selected Bibliography
349
Index
363
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