Miracles and Machines: A Sixteenth-Century Automaton and Its Legend

This book explores the 450-year-old automaton "the monk," a forerunner of the self-propelled robot, and investigates its origins and legend. The authors trace the automaton's history through archives, libraries, and museums in the US and Europe, highlighting its paradoxical performance of a spiritual act. They identify seven similar automata from the late Renaissance, showcasing the early development of artificial life.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2023
Publisher: Getty Trust Publications

This remarkable volume delves into the captivating tale of an enigmatic object that straddles the realms of art and science: a 450-year-old automaton aptly named "the monk." The lifelike walking and gesturing figure of a friar, housed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, stands as one of the earliest surviving ancestors of the self-propelled robot. According to legend originating from the court of Philip II of Spain, the monk is believed to portray Diego de Alcalá, a humble Franciscan lay brother whose revered corpse was credited with performing a miraculous cure upon Spain's crown prince as he lay dying in 1562.

In their quest to trace the origins of the monk and unravel its enigmatic legend, the authors embarked on an extensive exploration of archives, libraries, and museums across the United States and Europe. Through their diligent research, they unearthed a profound paradox: a mechanical object exhibiting an apparent spiritual act. They identified seven similar automata from the same period, which they argue constitute a groundbreaking class of walking "prime movers." These remarkable creations boast an unprecedented fusion of visual and functional realism, setting a new standard in the realm of artificial life.

While much of the literature on automata revolves around the Enlightenment era, this captivating narrative takes us back to the late Renaissance, a time when clockwork machinery was still in its infancy. It serves as a foreshadowing of the future evolution of artificial life, offering a glimpse into the rich tapestry of technological advancements that lay ahead.

Weight: 1310g
Dimension: 211 x 266 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781606068397