JF Ptak Science Books Quick Post
I haven’t seen too much in the venerable journal Nature (begun in 1869), though I did not the following two papers written1 in 1883.
In the second paper there is a discussion of various aspects of some of the paintings including “Sky Colour”, “Clouds”, “Distance and Atmosphere”, “Sunsets”, “Moons &c.”, “Water”, “reflection”, and “Snowstorms”. The reviewer liked some, and others—from the “science” end of things, not so much. For example there is a long and involved and devastating review of Frank Dickee’s (a successful and highly-Victorian (almost Victorian-velveteen)) piece, concentrating on the Moon, which presented many problems to the sci-observer, with the assault on the Moon of Dickee occupying about 20% of the entire article. He really didn’t like it.
You can read the review below:
Notes:
1. [“Science and Art” in Nature, vol 28, no 707, May 17, 1883, pp 50-51; with “Science an Art” same volume, no. 708, May 24, pp 73-76.]
