Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World

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Second Prize: Catherine He, “Noombat and Woylie” | Judge’s Comments: For the charm and charisma of the stuffed toy to the beautiful book of ecosystems in harmony. One of the most common types of head covering was the coif, a close-fitting cap usually made of linen. Often worn under other hats or bonnets, coifs could be simple or intricately embroidered. For colder weather, hoods made of velvet or silk were popular and could be either simple or elaborately decorated with trimmings like lace or ribbons. Broad-brimmed hats, often made of straw, were also in vogue, especially for outdoor activities. These hats could be adorned with anything from feathers to flowers, adding a touch of individuality. Laws of gravity established by Cambridge University mathematics professor Isaac Newton, 23, state that the attraction exerted by gravity between any two bodies is directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Newton has returned to his native Woolsthorpe because the plague at Cambridge has closed Trinity College, where he is a fellow; he has observed the fall of an apple in an orchard at Woolsthorpe and calculates that at a distance of one foot the attraction between two objects is 100 times stronger than at 10 feet (see Galileo, 1592). Although he does not fully comprehend the nature of gravity, he concludes that the force exerted on the apple is the same as that exerted on Earth by the moon. A French Academy of Sciences (Académie Royale des Sciences) founded by Louis XIV at Paris seeks to rival London's 4-year-old Royal Society. Jean Baptiste Colbert has persuaded the king to begin subsidizing scientists. Christiaan Huygens, along with 19 other scientists, is elected as a founding member. After the French Revolution, the Royale is dropped and the character of the academy changes. It later becomes the Institut de France.

Maria Thins empowers Vermeer to collect various debts owed to her and to reinvest the money according to his will and discretion. Vermeer's mother-on-law evidently maintained her moral and financial support of Vermeer and his family. Sir Isaac Newton invents the reflecting telescope, building the first telescope based on a mirror (reflector) instead of a lens (refractor). He’s not really saying anything drastically new, he’s trying to tell global history in an engaging way. Historians of the early modern period have become slightly obsessed with global history recently. I think that’s right, it’s very important, but it’s often hard to tell that story to a wider audience. The genius of Vermeer’s Hat is that he finds a clever and engaging way to do it. Wood panels used for painting were prepared through a meticulous process to ensure their stability, smoothness and longevity. Different types of wood were used, with oak and poplar being common choices. They were very thin in comparison with paintings on canvas of the samw dimension, which can be observed int some portrayals of artists working in their studios. The preparation process typically involved several steps. First, the wood panels were selected and cut to the desired size and shape. Oak was often preferred for its durability and resistance to warping, while poplar was used for its smoother surface. Sizing, a protective layer, was applied to the wood to seal the surface and prevent the paint from being absorbed into the wood fibers. This was usually done with a mixture of animal glue or gelatin, which also helped to create a barrier between the wood and subsequent layers. A mixture of powdered chalk or gypsum and animal glue, called gesso, was then applied to the sizing. Gesso provided a smooth and slightly absorbent surface that allowed the paint to adhere effectively. The ground was often applied in multiple layers, sanded between each layer to achieve a smooth finish.The first Stradivarius violin is created by Italian violinmaker Antonio Stradivari, 25, who serves his apprenticeship in his home town of Cremona in Lombardy to Nicola Amati, now 73, whose grandfather Andrea Amati designed the modern violin. The younger Amati improves on his grandfather's design and teaches not only Stradivari but also Andrea Guarnieri, 43, who also makes violins at Cremona.

Regional variations also played a significant role in the types of headgear women wore. Different areas of the Netherlands had their own traditional styles, often reserved for special occasions and holidays. These could be quite distinct and elaborate, reflecting local customs and materials.They may be wrong, there are even historians who debate their interpretation of that one village. Methodologically and in terms of the ideas though, this is so influential and so interesting as a book.