Verbiest's Prints

In the exhibition we were able to present only a selection from Ferdinand Verbiest’s Xinzhi Yixiangtu. All 105 of the prints are available here. Click on a thumbnail for larger versions, or choose a group from the list of themes such as astronomy and mechanics.

Theme: Optics [2]

Diagrammatic representation of the five simple colors (bottom right) and a schematic drawing of the prism with sun on the right Illustration of classical experiment with a gold ring and cup to explain refraction in two media - air & water (right), method of measuring refraction using two quadrants (middle), and the use of an optical telescope for projecting the sun (left)