Op een gegeven hoek een rechte lijn oprichten 1669

Curator: Sébastien Leclerc I created this print, “Op een gegeven hoek een rechte lijn oprichten”, around 1669. It’s an engraving, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My goodness, what an enigmatic piece! It’s almost dreamlike, with these geometric forms hovering over a somewhat classical landscape and veiled figure. It sparks such a strange, quiet awe. Curator: I think what's interesting here is how it blends instruction with artistic representation. Notice the way Leclerc combines a geometric diagram, seemingly illustrating how to construct a right angle, with depictions of architecture and figures in a landscape setting. It really invites you to consider the interplay between abstract knowledge and practical application. Editor: Exactly! It's as if he is inviting us into the mind of someone like a master builder in that era; and this ghostly figure—is she contemplation itself, about to solve this geometrical puzzle by intuition rather than instruments? The lack of crisp definition really makes me ask, did he use cheap tools, or does the ambiguity of line reveal more than precision ever could? Curator: That's a wonderful way to put it. The very nature of engraving—its reliance on line and controlled mark-making— speaks to a kind of precision and intention. But the presence of landscape elements points us back towards the natural world and material practice where geometrical skills were vital in a wide range of creative jobs and building techniques. Leclerc challenges those sharp high art and low art boundaries by putting these together in this printed plate. Editor: Well, it’s successful. I could look at this engraving for hours and still come away with new reflections—thank you, Leclerc, for this puzzle! Curator: I agree; it’s an image that really sticks with you after seeing it.