Colour as a Teaching Tool
MS 164: Astronomical tracts translated for Charles V by Nicole
Oresme, c.1373-77
Nicole Oresme was one of the fore-running natural philosophers of the fourteenth century (Clagett, 1964). Having studied theology at the College of Navarre in Paris, he went on to meet the founder of the French school of natural philosophy, Jean Buridan, while he was studying the arts in Paris. This may have directed him towards natural philosophy, about which he wrote many influential texts in the last thirty years of his life. His particular focus was on astronomy. Having formed a close relationship with the future Charles V of France in the 1350s, he became the king’s chaplain and counsellor upon his accession in 1364 and spent the 1370s translating and producing a series of texts for him.
Among those was this manuscript, a collection of astronomical texts. Charles, while taking a great interest in astronomy, was also highly susceptible to astrological theories (Clagett, 1964). It is for this reason that Oresme was so intent to speak out against astrology throughout his life (Clagett, 1964), and potentially why this text, Oresme’s On the Sphere, has an instructional focus.
On the Sphere is Oresme’s summary of cosmology, in particular looking at planetary theory. The diagram of planetary order shown here is taken from Pliny’s Natural History, which was given illustrations in the Carolingian era during a period of astronomical research promoted by Charlemagne (768-814) (Eastwood and Graßhoff, 2004). Of the four diagrams created for Pliny’s text, the diagram of planetary order is the only one to have remained true to the original, depicting seven, evenly-spaced concentric circles around the earth to represent each planet’s orbit (Eastwood and Graßhoff, 2004). As is typical of the time period, the Plinian or Ptolemaic order is used: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.
Colour is used by this text to support its function as a teaching tool, using vibrant and contrasting colours to simplify the diagrams and increase their memorability. Blue is used here in both a naturalistic and symbolic way to represent the heavens, drawing on its history of being associated with the divine and heavenly. The eighth blue circle, representing the stars, is then set off against a striking and unusual red border. The sun and the moon are also accentuated with eye-catching silver and gold leaf. These techniques were likely intended to make the diagram more visually striking, ensuring its easy memorability while also making it sumptuous enough for a king
References:
Clagett, M. (1964) ‘Nicole Oresme and Medieval Scientific Thought’, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society; Eastwood, B. and Graßhoff, G. (2004) ‘Planetary Diagrams for Roman Astronomy in Medieval Europe’, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society; Pulliam, H. (2012), ‘Colour’, Studies in Iconography.