Microscopische weergave van witte mosterdmeel before 1896

This is an illustration by Léon Herlant depicting a microscopic view of white mustard flour. The composition is dominated by a circular field, in which a constellation of granular shapes is distributed across a pale ground, their arrangement seemingly random. However, we can consider the form and what it represents through the lens of scientific observation of the late nineteenth century. The image presents a world unseen, a new visual language that destabilizes our understanding of the everyday. The contrast between the dark, grainy clusters and the almost sterile background invites us to consider the semiotic implications of visibility. The image challenges fixed notions of purity and impurity and asks us to reconsider what constitutes knowledge and representation in an age of rapid scientific advancement. This image is a formal study that opens up an entire discourse of scientific discovery.