The first naturalistic drawings of geologic phenomena, particularly rock formations, are assumed by historians to have occurred early in the 19th century, when geology matured as a science. No less than three centuries earlier, however, the Netherlandish master, Jan Van Eyck, drew exposures of natural rock whose features are so remarkably accurate as to permit modern-day geologic analysis of their lithology, fossil content, sedimentary structures, and depositional environment. Van Eyck clearly studied, drew, and painted a specific outcrop "in the field," long before such practice had become common in art or science. As the first modern geologic "observer," Van Eyck greatly extended an existing tradition of naturalism with regard to organic phenomena (esp. plants, insects, human figures) fully into the realm of inorganic reality. In this, he far surpassed other scholar-artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who have been credited with similar achievements. Van Eyck's achievement proved exceptional. It was matched neither by later artists, scientists, or illustrators until the late 18th-early 19th century, when conventions in travel literature and landscape inspired new attention to the drawing of rock materials. The reasons for this historical gap have everything to do with the limitations of observation in early geological study, which show important parallels to those in art.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
1 January 1996
Research Article|
November 05 2007
The Eye and the Rock: Art, Observation and the Naturalistic Drawing of Earth Strata
Scott Montgomery
Scott Montgomery
1
1577 18th Ave E. Seattle, WA 98112
Search for other works by this author on:
Earth Sciences History (1996) 15 (1): 3–24.
Citation
Scott Montgomery; The Eye and the Rock: Art, Observation and the Naturalistic Drawing of Earth Strata. Earth Sciences History 1 January 1996; 15 (1): 3–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.17704/eshi.15.1.9373301405572mr3
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your Institution
0
Views
0
Citations