Depictions of fluid phenomena in art

Krechetnikov, Rouslan

doi:10.1038/s41567-022-01789-4

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Published: 27 October 2022

Depictions of fluid phenomena in art

Rouslan Krechetnikov ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6599-5000¹

Nature Physics volume 18, pages 1256–1259 (2022)Cite this article

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An analysis of representations of fluid flows in classical paintings reveals scientific inaccuracies. Some of these misrepresentations might be caused by a limited understanding of fluid dynamics and others by deliberate artistic choices.

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**Fig. 1: *Merchants from Overseas* (1901) is one of the most recognizable paintings by Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947).**

**Fig. 2: *Bacchus* (c. 1596) by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610).**

**Fig. 3: *La Source* (1820–1856) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867).**

**Fig. 4: *Soap Bubbles (Les Bulles de Savon)* (1733–1734) by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699–1779).**

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Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to A. Stasenko, whose article⁵ sparked a life-long interest in the subject of depicting fluid phenomena in art — the illustrations of which have been used by the author in fluid mechanics classes both at the University of California at Santa Barbara and University of Alberta.

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University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Rouslan Krechetnikov

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Krechetnikov, R. Depictions of fluid phenomena in art. Nat. Phys. 18, 1256–1259 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01789-4

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Published: 27 October 2022
Issue Date: November 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01789-4