Back

The Musician
The Musician, made primarily by Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz in 1774, is an automaton that plays five different musical themes. The music does not come from a music box, but from the automaton itself, which presses the keys of an actual organ with its fingers. The Musician also displays anthropomorphic characteristics such as breathing (the chest rises and falls), eyes that follow the play of the hands and a torso that replicates the movements of a real organist. All these mechanical movements contribute to the human-like behavior of the automaton, intensifying the effect of illusion.

‹ Prev Next ›

The Musician

The Musician, made primarily by Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz in 1774, is an automaton that plays five different musical themes. The music does not come from a music box, but from the automaton itself, which presses the keys of an actual organ with its fingers. The Musician also displays anthropomorphic characteristics such as breathing (the chest rises and falls), eyes that follow the play of the hands and a torso that replicates the movements of a real organist. All these mechanical movements contribute to the human-like behavior of the automaton, intensifying the effect of illusion.