Magnetic field by René Descartes, from his Principia Philosophiae, 1644. This was one of the first drawings of the concept of a magnetic field. It shows the magnetic field of the Earth (D) attracting several round lodestones (I, K, L, M, N) and illustrates his theory of magnetism.

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René Descartes, Magnetic Field, 1644

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Photo credit: © Science History Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1640s, 1644, 17th, art, bw, century, concept, descartes, drawings, earth, field, geology, history, lodestones, magnetic, magnetism, philosophiae, principia, rené, science, shows