The Science of Art at the National Gallery

Lecture by Dr Aaron Hunter

The Arts Society Horsham - 12 March 2025

Winter’s sudden return has prompted members of the Horsham Arts Society to take a virtual tour of the National Gallery in the comfort of The Brighton Road Baptist Church under the skilful guide of Dr Aaron Hunter.  

In this illuminating lecture, Dr Hunter unveiled the science behind many famous works of art at the National Gallery. Through a well structured programme, we learnt about how scientific innovation changed the way art is created and perceived, from the development of perspective in the early Renaissance, to the invention of different paint types and the introduction of new minerals made possible through trade. 

The discovery of the three-dimensional perspective in the Renaissance paved the way in the evolution of art, such as Ucello”s “Battle of San Romano”, using “foreshortening” technique and Messina’s “Saint Jerome in his study” (1456) using “one point perspective”.  Da Vinci’s study of human biology brought science into art where human figures are anatomically accurate - where babies look like babies! 

We learned about the development of landscape where artists experimented with optics and life-like environments - as in Claude Lorrain’s “Landscape with the Marriage of Issac and Rebekah” (1648) and Vermeer’s supreme use of light and camera obscura in “The Music Lesson” (1662-1665).  The viewer is optically “transported” to the interior of the salon!  The industrial revolution meant that science and innovation became the subject of art, with industrial scenes by Turner such as “Rain, steam and speed - The Great Western Railway” (1844).

Then there is the colour wheel formulated by Sir Issac Newton which unlocks the secret of some of the nation’s treasures - Monet’s “Water Lilies” (after 1916) and Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888).  These iconic works of art utilise only a limited segment of colours adjacent to one another on the colour wheel, thus creating unity, harmony and beauty!  We have learnt to appreciate Constable’s trees and clouds which are true reflections of nature and a nostalgic lament on the decline of the countryside.

Dr Hunter concluded with the 20th century which brought modern chemistry taking painting out of the studio and into Plein air.  Here we can see the impact of Impressionism which invents another form of optical illusion where the viewer literally joins all the dots in their mind’s eyes! 

With our tutored eye on optics, our knowledge of colour pigments and the Newtonian colour wheel, we will never be able to look at our favourite paintings in quite the same light again!  Now we know Titian’s precious Lapis Lazuli blue in “Bacchus and Ariadne” comes from Asia through trade and Turner’s Indian Yellow is mixed from excrement of cows fed on mango!  With so much knowledge oscillating in our head, the next time we look at Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” (1495-1498), one is at risk of seeing a series of complex sight lines directing to a figure in the centre. The well informed mind is frazzled!