Re: [HM] Photos of mathematicians

Michael Deakin (michael.deakin@sci.monash.edu.au)
Fri, 13 Aug 1999 11:41:01 +1000

There are many alleged "pictures" of Hypatia; all of them works of the
imagination. The one with the widest currency is that by Gasparo (my
attempts to find out who Gasparo was have so far not borne fruit). This
was used by Am Math Monthly for their March 1994 cover. St Andrews has
it, etc. It owes its present popularity to its use in Elbert Hubbard's
"Little Journeys" account. (This is about the only good thing to be
said of that account!)

Although it is a work of imagination, it seems to me to make great
efforts at verisimilitude in dress and facial features. If you compare
it with other alleged "portraits" you will see what I mean.

It also (to my mind) displays an artistic quality lacking from other
such "portraits".

But Karen's point is well taken.

Mike Deakin

Karen Dee Michalowicz wrote:
>
> St. Andrews has a site for mathematics history. However, we must be very,
> very careful about pictures of mathematicians. For example, often we see
> Hypatia pictured as a very light skinned, European looking woman. Who knows
> what Hypatia really looked like. I suspect closer to those who live on the
> shores of the Mediterranean today. But, I don't know. I try to use
> engravings, for example, Tartaglia in his book. Photos would only be
> available for those in the l9th and 20th centuries. Of course, we have
> pictures from paintings, again, for example Ada Lovelace.
>
> Just beware.
>
> Karen Dee Michalowicz
>
> P.S. What did Euclid really look like? Was there really a Euclid? Hummm