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Musical theories of Pythagoras, 1492. Creator: Unknown
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Musical theories of Pythagoras, 1492. Creator: Unknown
Musical theories of Pythagoras, 1492. Men playing musical instruments and making sounds. At top left, an anvil is struck with hammers. Top right: Pythagoras playing the musical scale on bells and on water-glasses. He has made a sort of xylophone using glasses filled with ever smaller amounts of water. Bottom left: Pythagoras discovery of the dependence of the musical intervals on certain arithemtical ratios of lengths of strings at the same tension. Bottom right: Pythagoras and Philolaus experimenting with musical pipes. Illustration from "Theorica musicae" (Theory of music) by Franchino Gaffurio
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Anvil Bell Bells Experiment Experimental Experimentation Glasses Hammer Hammers Instrument Instruments Musicians Philosopher Philosophers Philosophy Pipes Pythagoras Pythagoras Of Samos Scale Sound String Stringed Instrument Tools Vibration Walters Art Museum Xylophone Ancient Greek Experimenting Playing An Instrument
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This image, titled "Musical theories of Pythagoras," dates back to 1492 and is an intriguing illustration from "Theorica musicae" (Theory of music) by Franchino Gaffurio. The print depicts a group of men engaged in musical exploration and experimentation. At the top left, an anvil is struck with hammers, possibly symbolizing the physical origins of sound. Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher famed for his mathematical discoveries, is shown at the top right, playing the musical scale on bells and water-glasses. He has ingeniously created a xylophone-like instrument using glasses filled with ever smaller amounts of water. This innovative approach to music making reflects his groundbreaking theories on the mathematical relationships between musical intervals. At the bottom left, Pythagoras is depicted making a significant discovery – the dependence of musical intervals on certain arithmetic ratios of string lengths at the same tension. This revelation revolutionized the understanding of music and its connection to mathematics. The bottom right corner of the image shows Pythagoras and Philolaus experimenting with musical pipes. Their intense focus on the pipes underscores their dedication to unraveling the mysteries of music and sound. This 15th-century illustration is a testament to the enduring fascination with the intersection of art, science, and human curiosity.
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