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OPENING THE TOOLKIT
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The idea that it is possible to manipulate and alter nature in order to extract matter and produce knowledge has a long history. In ancient Greece, the philosopher Plato described the cosmos as a mathematical model, and God as a divine craftsman. In the early modern period, such view became an important model for natural philosophers and artisans. They believed that nature was mechanically fashioned and could be infinitely shaped and altered by man-made implements. Such view led to the discovery of the boundless merit of instruments and tools in making objects, manipulating natural materials, and studying their properties and utilities.
This section presents five examples of the visual pride artisans, artists, and philosophers took in publishing their tools in print. These manuals and prints produced by artists and artisans represent instruments that speak on behalf of those who construct, invent, and make use of them, whether painter, engraver, glassmaker, or observer of nature. They signaled an increasing awareness of instruments’ value in the human conquest of the natural world.
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