Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing Newton's Cenotaph. Cénotaphe de Newton

About this Item

Title

  • Newton's Cenotaph.

Other Title

  • Cénotaphe de Newton

Summary

  • "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 (1728--99) 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.

Names

  • Boullée, Étienne-Louis, 1728-1799 Architect.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1784.

Headings

  • -  France
  • -  France--Île-de-France--Paris
  • -  1784
  • -  Monuments and memorials
  • -  Newton, Isaac, Sir, 1642-1727

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 6 designs: black ink, wash tint, in color.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of France.
  • -  Content in French.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021669836

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Boullée, Étienne-Louis, Architect. Newton's Cenotaph. Paris Île-De-France France, 1784. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669836/.

APA citation style:

Boullée, É. (1784) Newton's Cenotaph. Paris Île-De-France France, 1784. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669836/.

MLA citation style:

Boullée, Étienne-Louis, Architect. Newton's Cenotaph. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021669836/>.