Introduction

About this Exhibition

This exhibition explores the cultural history of the Sun in the long seventeenth century.  The discoveries of Copernicus established modern astronomy by placing the Sun at the center of our solar system.  But did you know that the Sun played a crucial role in navigation and seafaring technologies?  Or that the architects of Mesoamerican temples and Italian churches designed their buildings to make creative use of sunlight?  The Sun in Early Modernity seeks to bring to light surprising examples that show how the Sun has been crucial to the development of scientific knowledge and structured many other aspects of human experience. 

The Sun in Early Modernity was curated by Sophie Emma Battell and MA students at the University of Zurich—Alessia Tami, Olivia Lanni, and Wilmari Claasen. Read on to discover more about our nearest star.