Magnified Wonders: An 18th-Century Microscope

Exhibition in the PST ART: Art & Science Collide series
Side-by-side image of an ornate gilded microscope with dark green accents sitting on a table next to a close-up image of a flea under magnification with the shadow of a pointer.

Compound microscope with a micrometric stage, 1750s, French; Cat flea specimen on slide, mid 1800s, French, viewed through a microscope. Getty Museum

The spectacular French microscope from Getty’s collection is a unique testament to scientific advances and Rococo design in the Age of Enlightenment. It allowed science enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the recently discovered world of the microscopically small. New study and conservation present the cultural and historical context of this magnificent object and reveal its technical complexity in a display which includes its lavish tooled-leather case and specimen slides of natural curiosities.

This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.

Sep 10, 2024–Mar 30, 2025

Getty Center

Museum South Pavilion, Plaza Level

This is a past exhibition.

About PST ART

Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART, returns in September 2024, presenting over 70 exhibitions from organizations across the region exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art.

Selected Works

  • Compound Microscope with a Micrometric Stage

    French, early 1750s. Gilt bronze, iron, enamel, shagreen (sharkskin), glass. Getty Museum

    A gilt bronze Rococo-style microscope

  • Compound Microscope with a Micrometric Stage and Its Case

    French, 1750s. Microscope: Gilt bronze, iron, enamel, shagreen (sharkskin), glass; Case: Wood covered with gilded leather and gilt bronze fittings, lined with silk velvet and gold braid. Getty Museum

  • Accessories from the Getty Microscope

    French, 1750s. Gilt bronze and glass. Getty Museum

  • Six Rectangular Slides With Specimens

    French, 1860s. Specimens, glass, paper. Getty Museum

  • Flea From a Cat, Specimen on Slide

    French, 1860s. Getty Museum

  • The Flea, from Microscopic Amusements for Both the Mind and the Eyes

    German, 1764-68, Martin Frobene Ledermüller. Getty Research Institute, 94-B15934, vols. 1–3

Series Information

Exhibition Resources

  1. The Revolutionary Compound Microscope

    Video

    Detail of a baroque microscope in a velvet-lined leather case

    Get a close-up look at a French gilt-bronze compound microscope with conservator Arlen Heginbotham

  2. PST x Getty x Smarthistory: An Expansion of Understanding

    Video

    See how this 18th-century Rococo French device served as a decorative and functional instrument

  3. Magnified Wonders: An 18th-Century Microscope Gallery Text

    PDF

Need help?

Contact us! 9 am–5 pm, 7 days a week
(310) 440-7300

Email Us