Robert Boyle (1627-1691), Anglo-Irish chemist. Boyle established chemistry as a separate science and stressed the need for experimental precision and accurate observation. He postulated the existence of a range of chemical elements. He carried out a wide range of experiments on gases, and devised analytical tests (acid-base indicators and flame tests). Boyle's Law on gases is named for him. 'The Skeptical Chymist' (1661) was his major work. Artwork from 'Chaudieres et Machines a Vapeur' (1911) by French civil engineer Max de Nansouty (1854-1913), part of the 'Les merveilles de la science' series of 1867-1891 by Louis Figuier.