Microscope

Composed of elaborate gold-plated parts, this microscope is not just a decorative work of art; it is also a functional tool for scientific inquiry. Its ornamentation reflects the intermingling of art and science during the European Enlightenment, an era when scholars emphasized the study of science and reason as a means of social and intellectual progress. The two lenses of a compound microscope allow for better focus and magnification, making it easier for scientists—amateur and professional alike—to look closer at a specimen to see more than can be seen by the naked eye. This microscope’s ornate decoration suggests it was probably owned by a wealthy person, possibly an amateur scientist. <br><br>A version of an 18th-century English poem playfully describes what can be newly seen with a microscope: <br><em>Great fleas have little fleas </em><br><em>Upon their backs to bite ’em <br>The little fleas have lesser fleas <br>And so ad infinitum.</em>