Engineering the Future: A Reimagined Canvas
The UK aims to achieve a Net Zero energy system by 2050. To achieve decarbonisation on this timescale and magnitude, we need to make rapid changes to many aspects of daily life.
The Royal Academy of Engineering commissioned the prints in this room to show reimagined masterpieces, based on paintings by Constable, Monet, Pissarro, and Van Gogh, and illustrate how engineering innovations could transform our everyday life and landscapes in the future.
The Wheat Field (1816) by John Constable, and reimagined for 2050
Constable painted a traditional English farming community harvesting wheat in the Suffolk countryside. His popular landscape has been reimagined to show how agricultural engineering could transform the way we produce food and fuel.
In the foreground, we see solar-powered robots that would help automate manual farming tasks, such as weeding and watering.
Hovering above are agricultural drones that illustrate how we could enhance our understanding of crop health and enable the rapid survey of large areas.
In the sky, hydrogen planes offer zero-emissions flight. The aircraft design reflects the need to maximise fuel efficiency and distance travelled.
To the left are some bison, illustrating the part rewilding could play in reaching Net Zero by reintroducing native species. Biodiversity loss could be reduced with some environmental benefits. Bison hooves would help churn the soil, reducing the amount of surface runoff and thereby reducing the risk of flooding.
For more on the original painting click here.
The Seashore at Sainte-Adresse (1864) by Claude Monet, and reimagined for 2050
Monet painted his seascape at Sainte-Adresse, a wealthy suburb of Le Havre in northern France. It has been reimagined to highlight engineering feats of the future that could help the UK reach Net Zero.
In the foreground, we see how beach cleaning robots could work, using artificial intelligence to distinguish between seaweed and rubbish.
A seagrass plantation at the bottom shows a solution that has the potential to capture carbon and improve coastal ecosystems for native wildlife.
On the left, a building harnesses reclaimed materials and solar smart windows, reducing its carbon footprint and maximising its efficiency. The windows filter out sunlight for cooling and generate solar energy to power its appliances.
On the horizon, solar-powered boats transport freight. We can also see an offshore wind farm generating renewable energy alongside a floating wind turbine tethered above the beach.
For more on the original painting click here.
La Rue Saint-Honoré (1898) by Camille Pissarro, and reimagined for 2050
Pissarro painted Paris from his hotel window. His cityscape has been reimagined to show the sorts of engineering developments that could transform our cities.
We see a large central hub to the right that links the transport systems in the square, providing access to electrically powered monorail, vertical taxi, and underground stations.
To the left, we see rooftop farms with fruit trees, and the produce is ready within picking distance below. Growing food where people live reduces food miles and shortens supply routes, which means less fuel and energy is consumed transporting food.
Alongside the road, a yellow cycle lane and generous pavement suggest more people will switch to walking and cycling for shorter journeys. On the road, driverless electric cars equipped with solar panels harness renewable energy to power their journeys.
For more on the original painting click here.
Factories at Clichy (1887) by Vincent Van Gogh, and re-imagined for 2050
Van Gogh painted the industrial suburb of Clichy, northwest of Paris. This industrial landscape has been reimagined to encompass engineering innovations that could transform the way we live and work.
The reimagined painting is brighter than Van Gogh's. The fossil fuel-burning factories and smoke-laden skies have gone. Some of the buildings are brighter too, featuring thermochromic painted walls that change colour based on temperature, which could offer significant energy savings.
Cutting across the painting is a high-speed, carbon-neutral transport system that could utilise electric propulsion and magnetic levitation to propel passenger pods along vacuum tubes.
We see robots tending crops, illustrating how precision farming techniques would cut agricultural carbon emissions.
There is plenty of green space, with streamlined skyscrapers making the most of the land while incorporating vertical farming into their design.
Drones fly around, reflecting their potential to reduce carbon emissions associated with delivery and transport.
For more on the original painting click here.
Rolls-Royce Trent XWB Wide Chord Fan Blade
Rolls-Royce titanium alloy fan blades undergo around 80 precision manufacturing processes. They are hollow, a design that significantly reduces weight while maintaining exceptional strength.
Producing a single blade involves millions of data points, ensuring accuracy to within half the width of a human hair. These blades are engineered to move over a tonne of air every second, contributing to 85% of the engine’s total thrust.
Watch a short film on how the blades are made:
Concorde
Concorde was a landmark in British French aerospace engineering, built with Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 engines. Entering service in 1976, it halved transatlantic flight times, it cruised more than twice the speed of sound and set new standards in precision and performance.
A symbol of technological ambition and international cooperation, Concorde left a legacy in high-speed flight and inspired future advances in aviation design.
For more on Concorde click here.