Dragões, serpentes e outras bestas: Imagens impressas e ideias de classificação de animais em obras de Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605)

Abstract

This thesis aims to present a study on Renaissance natural world images, regarding them as documents for the History of Science. For such an approach this study led to the development of some methodological principles based upon three spheres of analysis on History of Science – Epistemological, Historiographical and Contextual. From these principles shown it was decided to go deeper into the Epistemological sphere, approaching, for example, the internal analysis of documents/images. That was done in order to indicate possibilities of relations existing between the images and text, using the knowledge of natural world, focusing on the organization and classification of the animals, having as initial point some animals belonging to the Reptiles. It was used the analysis of the artistic technique applied to image, showing how the representations of these animals, contained in the work of Ulisse Aldrovandi, present high quality of anatomical/morphological details, both internal and external. And, that this same quality standard is maintained in other works by the author that have the same theme, both in woodcut representations, as well as in painting. This type of comparative analysis was performed not only between Aldrovandi´s works but also compared with works by contemporary authors who studied the same theme, with the purpose the verifying if there was the same standard of quality and rigor of the artistic techniques adopted in the images between their works. The result obtained, indicates the recognition of the artistic techniques that were used in the images, or as an instrument of organization/classification of the animals. That leads us to the importance of considering the image as a form of transmission of knowledge, both of nature and the arts, considering as a document of importance for understanding the History of Science