Saint Jerome (ca. 347–420), one of the four Latin Fathers and Doctors of the Church, a man of learning the author of the translation of the Bible, was depicted in 15th and 16th century paintings as a scholar at work

The Weeping Heraclitus, Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (Carona 1677 – Carona 1758), ca.1750, National Museum in Wrocław

Giuseppe Antonio Petrini, son of a sculptor, before 1703 he was a pupil of Bartolomeo Guidobono in Genoa, but he preferred to draw on the works of contemporary Venetian masters Luca Giordano and Giambattista Piazetta. He painted numerous expressive half-figures of prophets, apostles, saints and philosophers, frequently composed as pendants.

The Lauhhing Democtritus, Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (Carona 1677 – Carona 1758), ca.1750, National Museum in Wrocław

The philosophers are depicted wearing turbans and timeless garments, which emphasize the continual relevance of their respective optimistic and pessimistic attitudes. 

Heraclitus and Democritus, Flemish painter from the circle of Jordanes, third quarter of 17th century, National Museum in Wrocław

Imaginary portraits of these greatest pre-Socratic philosophers were meant to provoke reflection on two extreme attitudes in life: one optimistic and the other pessimistic. The legend about Heraclitus weeping over the miserable human condition and Democritus laughing at it was popularized after classical writers by the Florentine humanist Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499). The painting is one of rarer depictions of the two sages together, as they were more frequently portrayed in separate pictures functioning as pendants

Allegory of the Arts and Sciences Gerard Thomas (Antwerp 1663 – Antwerp 1720/21), Second half of 17th century, National Museum in Poznań.

The artist depicted a scene with a multitude of figures in groups which were to symbolize various branches of knowledge and art. The artists and scholars follow their crafts under the patronage of Jove, Athena and Mercury in the clouds high above, while ancient men of wisdom are watching the artists and scholars from the balcony above the entrance to the temple-academy.

Gerard Thomas – Flemish painter, son of Pieter,  in 1680- 1681 he was a pupil of Gottfried Maes, in 1688/89 becoming a master in the painters’ guild in Antwerp. Under the influence of David Teiniers the Younger he painted multifigural allegorical scenes, and  also particulary alchemists’ rooms and artists’ studios, frequently as pendants.

Johannes Hevelius, Daniel Schultz (Gdańsk 1615 – Gdańsk 1683) Gdańsk Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The portrait sent by Hevelius together with his publications in 1677 as a gift for the Royal Society (now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford) is perhaps one of successive copies made from Schultz’s originals by Andrzej Stech.

 Johannes Hevelius (1611–1687), the second most outstanding astronomer in the Polish Commonwealth after Copernicus, was the son of a Gdańsk brewer. His talents and diligence won him recognition in European scientific circles. In 1664 he became a member of the Royal Society of London for the Promotion of Knowledge.

 Daniel Schulz- one of the most outstanding painters active in Poland in the 17th century. Between ca. 1646 and 1649 he lived in the Netherlands. He was court painter to the kings John Casimir Vasa, Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and John III Sobieski. He won recognition and fame with his portraits.

Galileo, attributed to Salvatore Rosa, (Naples 1615 – Rome 1673), ca. 1650, property of the Tarnowski family, deposited in the National Museum in Cracow.

Galileo (1564–1642), an Italian astronomer and philosopher, laid the foundations for experimental–mathematical research methods in natural science. He was one of the first to use a telescope for astronomical observations. In 1632 he published the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican.

Salvatore Rosa - painter, engraver, and poet, at first active in Naples, from 1641 to 1649 court artist to the Medicis in Florence, and in 1649 working in Rome. He became famous as a painter of battle-pieces and atmospheric landscapes with ample staffage.

Portrait of an Astronomer, unknown paiter, (Flemish or Spanish school), mid- 17^th century, Przypkowski Museum at Jędrzejów.

Tradition has it that the painting originates from the collection of King Stanislas Augustus and that it was purchased for him by Marcello Bacciarelli in Italy as a Rubens. Presented by the king to his morganatic wife, Elżbieta Grabowska née Szydłowska, it remained in the Grabowski family for several generations.

A Scholar and his Study Jacob van Spreeuwen, (Leiden 1611 – Leiden (?) after 1650), first half of 17^th century, The Princes Czartoryski Foundation at the National Museum in Cracow.

The Cracow piece is one of several variants of the motif which was borrowed from Gerrit Dou, simplified and then repeated over and over again. The theme of an old man, a sage, philosopher or astronomer in his study, was frequently painted in the circle of Rembrandt, and especially among the artists of Leiden, the seat of a university. Consequently, also here the second quarter of the 17th century witnessed the heyday of the vanitas-type still life, composed exclusively or mostly of books. In order to emphasize transience, the still lifes with books usually included other symbolic objects, such as skulls, extinguished candles, musical instruments, hourglasses or watches. Among scientific instruments a terrestrial or celestial globe was frequently placed as a symbol of a philosopher or scholar.

Jacob van Spreeuwen - He probably spent all his life in Leiden. He was greatly influenced by Gerrit Dou and became his faithful follower. He repeatedly painted portraits of a scholar-philosopher.

A Scholar in his Study, attributed to Master IS,  (fl.1633-1658), National Museum in Warsaw.

The artist whose works, signed with the interwoven monogram “IS”, reveal the influence of the young Rembrandt and Dou, he was probably active in Leiden or Amsterdam.

A scholar in his Study,  Philips Koninck (Amsterdam 1619 – Amsterdam 1688), ca. 1645, signed at top right, on the edge of the hourglass: Ph. de Koning.f., Jagielonian University Museum.

This may be the likeness of the Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679), famous in the mid-17th century. At the same time the portrait is an allegorical representation of the vanitas motif which frequently appeared in depictions of scholars.

Philip Konick- He was renowned chiefly for his large-format landscapes. He also painted genre scenes and portraits. Koninck was an excellent draughtsman. He was a friend of, among others, Rembrandt and the outstanding Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel.

Planispheric astrolabe Ludolf de Scicte, Einbeck, Germany, 14th century Signed on the dorsum: LUDOLFI DE SCICTE THESAUR ECCLE EMBICEN

Jagiellonian University Museum.

According to Ludwik Birkenmajer, Ludolf Borchtorp of Brunswick, who came to Cracow in 1485 to study at its academy, presented the Brunswick astrolabe to the University.

An astrolabe was a universal instrument which served to determine time, position of the Moon, of the Sun and other stars in the sky, and also to calculate the height of objects on the earth (dorsum). It was used for solving astronomical problems and for casting horoscopes, known as prognostics. The astrolabe functions on the principle of stereographic projection: the image of the celestial sphere is projected on a plane. Bright stars and the ecliptic circle were represented on the rete, while the lines, adjusted to an appropriate latitude and helpful in determining time and the position of a particular object, were shown on interchangeable plates.

Ludolfi de Scicte was the treasurer of the church treasury of the Order of St Alexander at Einbeck.

Theodolite, Leonard d’Amery, Brussels, first half of 17th century, Signed on the ruler: Leonard d’Amery/Matemat A Bruxelles, National Museum in Cracow

A surveying instrument for determining a topographic point. Mounted on a stand, enabled measurments of horizontal and vertical angels at the same time.

The ruler was made with the decimal scale.

Leonard d’Amery (1607–1640), a maker of mathematical, navigational, and surveying instruments in Brussels.

Water level -water weight , The Netherlands, 17th century, Jagiellonian University Museum

This is a simple level instrument for determining angels of deflection of the sight line from the horizontal. The brass trough was filled with water. Measurement consisted in aiming through sight vanes above the water level at a target or staff, e.g. a sight mark attached to the staff.

 Henri Michel (Instruments de Sciences, Bruxelles 1966, p. 51) holds that the first detailed description of the trough-shaped water level is given in a book by Olbrycht Strumieński, O sprawie, sypaniu, wymierzaniu i rybieniu stawów (Kraków 1573).

The instrument is a prototype of water levels of today.

Terrestial globe, Gerard Mercator, Louvain, 1541, signed: Edebat Gerardus Mercator Repelmundanus cum privilegio Ces. Maiestatis ad an. sex Lovanii an. 1541, Jagiellonian University Museum.

The prime meridian going through the island of Ferro (Forteventura) in the Archipelago of the Canary Islands. Both American continents are given the common name America a multis hodie Nova India dicta. The information facilitating navigation: compass roses with loxodromic straight lines, the red-marked main stars bear Latin names. The commentary on numerous points on the map follows the records by Marco Polo, Pomponius Mela, and Orosius.

The globe pairs with a celestial globe.

Celestial globe, Gerard Mercator, Louvain, 1551, Jagiellonian University Museum.

The axis runs through the celestial poles. A system of equatorial coordinates. The stars in magnitudes 1-6 and nebulae are marked. Fifty constelations incliding the Ptolemaic constellationes, Antinous, Coma Berenices, illustrated with artistic images patterned on Albrecht Dürer’s drawings of 1515. The Milky Way is marked and captioned via lactea. There are Latin, Greek, and Arabic names, the last of them in Latin transliteration; in addition, symbols of the planets are given. The map is made in external projection.

Gerard Kremer alias Gerard Merkator (Gerhard de Cremer, Gerhard Cremer, Gerardus Mercator), the full name used by him being Gerardus Mercator de Rupelmonde (1512–1594); a Dutch geographer and cartographer, maker of maps, globes, astronomical instruments, and sundials.

Celestial globe Johann Gabriel Doppelmaier, (1671-1750), after 1744 Signed: opera Joh. Gabr. Doppelmaieri M.P.P. exhibitus a Johanne Georgio Puschnero Chalcographo Norimbergens A.C. 1728 Jagiellonian University Museum

The axis of rotation of the globe runs through the ecliptic poles. The stars in magnitudes 1-6 and nebulae are marked, a legend south of Cetus. The constellations are represented graphically; marked are the Ptolemaic constellations. Crux, Antinous, Coma Berenices, Columba, Monoceros, Camelopardalis, Keyser’s and De Houtman’s southern constellations (Apus, Grus, Musca, Chamaeleon, Indus, Triangulum Australe, Hydra, Piscis Australis, Pavo, Phoenix, Tucana, Volans), Charles’s Oak (named in 1679 by Edmund Halley, the name being removed in 1763 by Nicolas Luis de Lacaille), and the Hevelian constellations (including Scutum Sobiescianum). The orbits of comets are mapped together with the dates of their observation and the names of their discoverers. The location of the fixed stars in 1730 agrees with Hevelius’s catalogue.

Johann Gabriel Doppelmaier (Doppelmayer, Doppelmayr, Doppelmair, 1671–1750), a German astronomer and mathematician of Nuremberg, was interested in cartography and spherical trigonometry and made sundials and mathematical instruments.

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