Cenotaphe de Newton

"Sublime spirit! Vast and profound genius! Divine being! Accept the homage of my weak talents...Oh, Newton!" With these words, French architect and designer Étienne-Louis Boullée dedicated his design for an imaginary cenotaph (empty tomb) in honor of the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727). Like many intellectuals of his day, Boullée was fascinated by Newtonian physics. His design illustrates perfectly the general characteristics of his work and that of the architecture of the end of the 18th century: large simple masses free from any superfluous decoration and buildings whose forms express their purpose. Boullée was an academician who taught at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and the Académie Royale d'Architecture in Paris. He influenced many of his contemporaries by his works and his teaching. This drawing depicts the grand entry of the cenotaph from the exterior and positions the structure within a landscape that is consequently minimized by its large scale.
Cenotaphe de Newton
Inventory
Collection Number
17130
Building
Current Location
Back eastern wall
Floor
4th
Description
Details
"Cenotaphe de Newton" is a reproduction print of an architectural drawing by Étienne-Louis Boullée which depicts the exterior an imagined cenotaph in honor of English physicist Sir Isaac Newton.
Framed
Yes
 - Glass
Width
1 inch
Height
23 inches
Length
31 inches
Donor
Library Owns
No
Permissions
Reproduce the Work in Library publications/publicity, including film or videotape
Yes
Reproduce
Library has Photography Rights
Yes
Photograph
Permit the general public to photograph the work
Yes
Slides/Video