“Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe”

This show covers the centuries between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, an era of discovery led by figures such as Galileo and Newton. This revolution in knowledge based on empirical evidence attracted the attention of the rich and powerful. Wanting to bask in the glories of latest revelations, they commissioned objects of wonder—made out of precious metals using the finest craftsmanship—meant to reflect the spirit of the age. Some 170 examples of these items (globes, celestial models, chronometers and other devices often animated by clockwork mechanisms) are on display.