Faces of Science
Ludmilla Jordanova looks at the ways in which scientists presented themselves and their activities to the public through art, and considers how this reflects on the public presentation of history.
Portraits of scientists have a long and complex history, uniting art and science, past and present. They also bring diverse constituencies into fruitful conversations: historians, sitters, artists, collectors and patrons, the staff of museums, those who run scientific institutions and ‘the public’, itself a complex and elusive term, which includes engaged citizens, persons on the street, and those who consider themselves privileged commentators on contemporary politics.