Category: Children’s Art

JF Ptak Science Books  Post 1287    Continuing the post 1285

“Taking the Scarecrows out of Wisdoms Gardens”

This is Part 3/7 of John Comenius’ great work, the first illustrated instructional to children, first written in 1676 and then translated into English in 1726–it is from this translation that all of the images (below) are taken.  This is the second of seven installments on introducing 17th and 18th century children to wide ideas, the other sections including: Part 1, Occupations; Part 2, Anatomy; Part 3, Books and Book Arts; Part 4, the Sciences; Part 5, Morals and Philosophy; Part 6, Games and the Arts; and Part 7, the Military.  

The work itself: John Amos Comenius’ Orbis Senfualium Piélus: Omnium Principalium in Mundo Rerun/ &f m Vita АШопит,  translated as Pictura et Nomenclatur, the Visible World, or A Nomenclature, and Pictures of all Chief Things that are int he World, translated into English by Charles Hoof…1726.

The purpose of the book, writes the translator in the introduction of the 1726 12th edition, is:  

To entice witty children to it, that they may not conceit a torment to be in the school, but dainty/are., For it is apparent, that children (even from their infancy almost) are delighted with Pictures, and willingly please their eyes with these fights: And it will be very well worth the pains to have once brought it to pafs, that fcare-crows may be taken away out of Wifdom’s Gardens…”

Even at this early stage of publishing books for children it was easily recognized that children learn better when eased into their subject with pictures.  This is not so far off the mark with the moderns, and in its own way a precursor to the Dick and Jane and Dr. Seuss books–not so much for subject matter, but for the very act of putting a book into the hands of a child and getting them comfortable wit the idea of reading.  It seems to me that this is by far the most important lesson-the actual content at tis point is secondary to the act of holding a book.  

 

JF Ptak Science Books  Post 1286    Continuing the post 1285

“Taking the Scarecrows out of Wisdoms Gardens”

This is Part 2/7 of John Comenius’ great work, the first illustrated instructional to children, first written in 1676 and then translated into English in 1726–it is from this translation that all of the images (below) are taken.  This is the second of seven installments on introducing 17th and 18th century children to wide ideas, the other sections including: Part 1, Occupations; Part 2, Anatomy; Part 3, Books and Book Arts; Part 4, the Sciences; Part 5, Morals and Philosophy; Part 6, Games and the Arts; and Part 7, the Military.  

The work itself: John Amos Comenius’ Orbis Senfualium Piélus: Omnium Principalium in Mundo Rerun/ &f m Vita АШопит,  translated as Pictura et Nomenclatur, the Visible World, or A Nomenclature, and Pictures of all Chief Things that are int he World, translated into English by Charles Hoof…1726.

The purpose of the book, writes the translator in the introduction of the 1726 12th edition, is:  

To entice witty children to it, that they may not conceit a torment to be in the school, but dainty/are., For it is apparent, that children (even from their infancy almost) are delighted with Pictures, and willingly please their eyes with these fights: And it will be very well worth the pains to have once brought it to pafs, that fcare-crows may be taken away out of Wifdom’s Gardens…”

Even at this early stage of publishing books for children it was easily recognized that children learn better when eased into their subject with pictures.  This is not so far off the mark with the moderns, and in its own way a precursor to the Dick and Jane and Dr. Seuss books–not so much for subject matter, but for the very act of putting a book into the hands of a child and getting them comfortable wit the idea of reading.  It seems to me that this is by far the most important lesson-the actual content at tis point is secondary to the act of holding a book.  

The Arteries currying Blood from the Heart; 4’he Veins returning the Mood to the Heart} The Nerves carrying Setife and Motion throughout the Body from the Brain. You jkallßnd thefe three, 1. t’very inhere joined together. Beßdes, from the Mouth into the Stomach it the Gullet, 2, the way of the meat and drini, and-hy it to the Light!, the Wezand, 5. for hr.athing; f cm the Stomach to the Arfe it a great Gut, 3. to purge out the Ordure; from the Li-ver to the Bladder, the Ureter, 4. for making ‘wJter. . Tie Bones are in the Head, the Skull, 6. the ttuo Cheek-bones, 7. with thirty tTvo Teeth, 8. Then the Back-bone, 9. the Pillar of the Body, tonfifling of thirty four turning Joints, that the Body may hend itfelf The Ribs, re. ,uihereof there are twenty four. The Breaft-bone, 11. the five Shoulder-blades, ii. the Buttock-bone, 13.. the bigger Bone in the . Atta, 15. *W/¿/kfi’crBone inthi Arm. V-Л ù •; vi; Mußcal Типа. The Nofe, 3. fcenteth fmelh and ßinhs. The Tongue, 4. •with the reef of the Mouth taßet Favours, •what is fweet or hitter, keen or hiting, four or каф. The Hand, 5. hy touching difcerneth the quantity and q: ality of things; the hot and cold, the moifl and dry, She hard andfft, the fnooth and rough, the bsavy and light. The in•ward Sen fes are three. . The Common Senfe, 7. under the forepart of the head, afprehendeth i t/.ings taken from the oufward Senfes. The Phantafye, 6. under the crown of the head, judgeth ofthefe things, t hinket h and drcameth The Memory, 8. under the hinder part of the head, layeth up every thing end fctcbeth them out; it Ufethfome, and this is forgetfulnefs. Sleep, is the reft of the Senfes. The Soul is the Life tf the Body, oie in the ivhole. Only Vegetative in Plants; Withal Seníltive in Animals; And alfo Rational in Men. This confifteth in three things; In the Underftanding, wherehy it judget h, and underßandethy – a thing good and evil, or true, or apparent. In the Will, •whereby it choofeth, and deßreth, tr rejeéleth, er mißiketh a thing knovn. In the Mind, •whereby it purfueth Anima eft vita corpoiii, una in tota. Tantum Vegetativa In Plantis; Simul Senßtinsa in Ahímalibus J, Etiam Rational is in Hernie/i liaec coniiftet in trihu»; In Mente (Intelleflu) qua cognofcit, & intelligit, honum ac malum, vel verum, vel apparent» In Voluntate-, qua eligir, Sc concupifcit, aut rejicit, & averfatur cogniuim. In Animo, quo prpfequituv