The mystery of the telescopes in Jan Brueghel the Elder's paintings

TL;DR

This paper investigates early depictions of telescopes in Jan Brueghel the Elder's paintings, linking them to historical optical instruments and early telescope development, revealing insights into the earliest representations of telescopic technology.

Contribution

It identifies and analyzes the earliest known artistic representations of telescopes, connecting them to historical prototypes and early optical innovations.

Findings

First painting of a telescope in 1608-1612 by Brueghel.

Paintings depict early spyglasses obtained from Lipperhey or Janssen.

Possible early keplerian telescope structures suggested by artwork.

Abstract

Several early spyglasses are depicted in five paintings by Jan Brueghel the Elder completed between 1608 and 1625, as he was court painter of Archduke Albert VII of Habsburg. An optical tube that appears in the Extensive Landscape with View of the Castle of Mariemont, dated 1608-1612, represents the first painting of a telescope whatsoever. We collected some documents showing that Albert VII obtained spyglasses very early directly from Lipperhey or Sacharias Janssen. Thus the painting likely reproduces one of the first man-made telescopes ever. Two other instruments appear in two Allegories of Sight made in the years 1617 and 1618. These are sophisticated instruments and the structure suggests that they may be keplerian, but this is about two decades ahead this mounting was in use.