Galilei afsværgende sine "vildfarelser" for munkedomstolen by Nicolai Abildgaard

Galilei afsværgende sine "vildfarelser" for munkedomstolen 1743 - 1809

drawing

aged paper

toned paper

light pencil work

pencil sketch

personal sketchbook

coffee painting

underpainting

traditional art medium

watercolour illustration

watercolor

Nicolai Abildgaard’s “Galilei afsværgende sine "vildfarelser" for munkedomstolen” depicts the historical moment of Galileo Galilei’s recantation of his heliocentric theory in 1633. The artwork is a pen drawing, created between 1743 and 1809, and captures the dramatic scene with a focus on Galileo’s kneeling figure, signifying his submission to the Church. Abildgaard utilizes the composition to create a sense of tension and conflict, highlighting the power dynamics at play. This artwork serves as a visual representation of a significant scientific and religious event, offering a glimpse into the complexities of the historical moment.

Comments

statensmuseumforkunst about 1 year ago

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The front of the drawing shows the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) kneeling before the ecclesiastical court at the Minerva Convent in Rome. Here, on June 22nd 1633, he was forced to renounce his (accurate, as we now know) theories of the sun as the centre of our solar system. The drawing can be interpreted as showing Abildgaard’s sympathy for the unjustly treated Galileo. A piece of paper has been glued to the back, with Latin fragments in Abildgaard’s hand. These are fragments of the script written by the church that Galileo was to read aloud and swear to respect. Abildgaard probably glued the text onto the work himself.