Copernicus: Various Images of a Scientific Genius
Nicolas Copernicus (1473–1543) – lawyer, physician, clergyman, researcher. His image evolved from a Renaissance scholar to a scientific revolution symbol and science icon.
By Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Liliana Lewandowska, Dominik M. Piotrowski (University Library in Toruń)
Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus with an armillary sphere (ca. 1850) by Max (?) DeyerlNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Copernicus was an outstanding figure of the Renaissance era. Not only did he make a groundbreaking discovery in the field of astronomy, but he also held roles as a lawyer, physician, and clergyman, highlighting his versatility and deep interest in both science and spirituality.
The most common depictions of Copernicus show him as a man around 40 years old, often holding a lily or dandelion in one hand. These iconic portraits reflect his image as a scholar and researcher.
Tabulae Rudolphinae (1627) by Johannes KeplerNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
With the authorities of science
Nicolas Copernicus was often depicted in discussions with experienced scholars...
...Aristotle, Ptolemy, Galileo, Tycho Brahe, etc. During these discussions, Copernicus became a symbol of science.
Images of the astronomer were captured in various painting and graphic techniques: they were created as copper engravings, etchings, lithographs, and often adorned title pages.
Evolution of the image
The image of Nicolaus Copernicus underwent significant evolution over the centuries. During the Renaissance, he was often portrayed as an educated clergyman and lawyer in the typical attire of the era.
Portrait with a lily of the valley flower (1587) by Christoph MurerNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Clergyman
In the beginning, when he was not well-known, he was portrayed as a figure dressed in clergy robes - after all, he was a canon of Warmia.
Portrait with a Lily of the Valley from 1587, probably created by Christoph Murer (1558–1614), based on Tobias Stimmer (1539–1584). Woodcut within a typographic frame, in: Nicolaus Reusner, Icones sive imagines virorum literis illustrium..., Strassburg 1587.
Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus (19th century) by NNNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
As a man of science
In later centuries, his image evolved, becoming a symbol of the scientific revolution and an innovative thinker.
Portrait with geometric instruments, notes, and an armillary sphere from the first half of the 19th century. Author unknown.
Great scholar, researcher, thinker, symbol of progress. Copernicus is now widely associated with the heliocentric model, which revolutionized our understanding of the universe, further enhancing his stature as an outstanding scientific researcher. His image is an icon of science, demonstrating that innovative ideas can alter the course of history.
Type I - in the style of Tobias Stimmer
Image in the style of Tobias Stimmer. In a rectangular frame, half-length, with a slightly turned head. Holding a lily in one hand, dressed in a coat lined with fur with a slightly turned-up collar.
19th century.
20th century.
Type II - representative
Nicolas Copernicus is depicted among other famous figures of science and art - Ptolemy, Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, and others. Emphasizing his role as one of the greatest geniuses of humanity.
Atlas Novvs Coelestis In Qvo Mvndvs Spectabilis (1742) by Johann Gabriel DoppelmayrNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr, Atlas Novvs Coelestis In Qvo Mvndvs Spectabilis, Norimbergae 1742. A copperplate engraving depicting Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, and Brahe was placed on the title page.
Type III - with astronomical instruments
The astronomer is portrayed against the backdrop of astronomical instruments such as telescopes, globes, astrolabes, quadrants, or observing the sky through a telescope.
Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus with the heliocentric system (1654) by Jacob van MeursNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Portrait with a model of the heliocentric system, author: Jacob van Meurs (1619–1680), copper engraving, from: Pierre Gassendi, Astronomorum coryphaei, vita..., The Hague 1655.
Portrait with a model of the heliocentric system, author: Jacob van Meurs (1619–1680), copper engraving, from: Pierre Gassendi, Astronomorum coryphaei, vita..., The Hague 1655.
Portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus with an armillary sphere (ca. 1850) by Max (?) DeyerlNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Max (?) Deyerl, Portrait of Nicolas Copernicus with an armillary sphere, ca 1850. Presumed portrait based on the oil painting by Marco Basaiti. The astronomer is depicted at a desk with an open book, with an armillary sphere in his left and a pair of dividers in his right hand.
Max (?) Deyerl, Portrait of Nicolas Copernicus with an armillary sphere, ca 1850. Presumed portrait based on the oil painting by Marco Basaiti. The astronomer is depicted at a desk with an open book, with an armillary sphere in his left and a pair of dividers in his right hand.
The genius of humanity. In later contemporary centuries, the cult of Copernicus developed. This is especially evident in the anniversaries of his birth and death, during which numerous graphic representations of the Astronomer were created.
Type IV - free representations
In the 20th century, depictions of Copernicus were free, unconventional, artistic, sometimes controversial, breaking away from tradition.
Symbolic portrait (1970) by Stanisław SzukalskiNicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Stanisław Szukalski, Symbolic Portrait, lithograph, 1970.
Each era emphasized slightly different aspects related to the figure of Nicolas Copernicus. The 20th century was a time of mass culture and the introduction of symbolism into portraits.
Storyline and preparation: Dr. Liliana Lewandowska, Dr. Dominik M. Piotrowski (University Library in Toruń)
Texts: Dr. Liliana Lewandowska (University Library in Toruń). Inspirations drawn from: Mikołaj Copernicus. Portraits and Other Images, ed. K. Nierzwicki, L. Lewandowska, Toruń 2023.
Photographs: Piotr Kurek (University Library in Toruń)
University Library in Toruń
