ROBERT HOOKE

art.

 

The most dominant form of art during the life of Robert Hooke was Baroque art. Baroque art was a genre of art that set an impression with an overwhelming sense of emotions. The two main forms of this type of art were paintings and sculptures. English painting became dominated by foreign-born portraitists, including Rubens and Van Dyck (“British Art in the 17th Century and Historical Background,” 43). This style of art continued throughout the Civil War, as well as after the Restoration (“British Art in the 17th Century and Historical Background,” 43). Sculpture also rose to be a prominent form of Baroque art, with artists such as Nicholas Stone and Edward Marshall implementing contemporary Netherland styles into their artwork (British Art in the 17th Century and Historical Background,” 43). Also, as Baroque art developed in England throughout the 17th century, artistic themes of intensity and vigor developed alongside the artistic masterpieces as well, provoking heavy emotions (British Art in the 17th Century and Historical Background,” 43). Thus, this artistic rise of dominance during Robert Hooke’s era influenced him greatly as a scientist. First of all, after his father died in the year of 1648, he was sent off to London in order to pursue his artistic talent under the apprenticeship of Sir Peter Lely, through which he successfully received an Oxford Master of Arts degree (Westfall, 69). Thus, by practicing his art, Hooke was able to successfully accomplish the publication of his Micrographia, through which he used descriptive illustrations to depict his microscopical observations (Westfall, 70). Without his dedication to art, Hooke would not have been able to record his observations as well as he did in his publication, which successfully led him to the discovery of the cell.