Symbolism and discovery: eclipses in art

Abstract

There is a fascinating tradition of depicting solar eclipses in Western art, although these representations have changed over time. Eclipses have often been an important feature of Christian iconography, but valued as much for their biblical significance as for the splendour of the physical event. However, as Western culture passed through the Renaissance and Enlightenment the depictions of eclipses came to reflect new astronomical knowledge and a thirst for rational learning well beyond the confines of the church and other elites. Artists also played a surprisingly important role in helping scientists in the nineteenth century understand and record the full phenomena of an eclipse, even as the advent of photography also came to solve a number of scientific puzzles. In the most recent century, artists have responded to eclipses with symbolism, abstraction and playfulness. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Atmospheric effects of solar eclipses stimulated by the 2015 UK eclipse’.

Solar eclipses: A pump of curiosity for early humans?

“…The "dramatic nature" (Pasachoff 2017) of solar eclipses produces lasting effects on humans (ibid) and human culture (Blatchford 2016). Solar eclipses would have provided early humans with novelty on a scale unlike anything else within the environment.…”

The solar eclipse: a natural meteorological experiment

“…Solar eclipses have long been recognized and revered by civilizations in the ancient and modern world. The depiction of solar eclipses in western art gives one example of their historical recognition as significant phenomena, which is addressed in the paper by Blatchford [9]. After their early portrayal as indicators of events of mystical importance, eclipses represented in art from the Renaissance and the Enlightenment were linked with emerging scientific knowledge of the related astronomical phenomena, such as the diamond ring effect around the Moon.…”

“…[1][2][3]), this special theme issue presents a collection of investigations of the 20 March 2015 solar eclipse, in which the lunar shadow tracked through the North Atlantic to yield a substantial partial eclipse in the UK and Iceland, with totality viewable from the Faroe Islands and Svalbard. Stimulated by this event, the combination of papers presented seeks to address the broader aspects and utility of a solar eclipse, through including an essay on the depictions of solar eclipses in art [9] alongside a review of the existing understanding of eclipse meteorology [4]. In addition, Portas et al [10] describe the use of the 20 March 2015 solar eclipse for science outreach activity, using a citizen science approach to generate a bespoke observing network; the related science results are analysed separately by Barnard et al [11].…”

The National Eclipse Weather Experiment: use and evaluation of a citizen science tool for schools outreach

“…This interdisciplinary approach brought together the science, history and arts associated with eclipses. Further details on the depiction of eclipses in art can be found in Blatchford in this issue [13]. …”