Zon lijkt sneller te draaien rond de Aarde in de winter dan in de zomer 1706

"Zon lijkt sneller te draaien rond de Aarde in de winter dan in de zomer" is an engraving by Sébastien Leclerc I, created some time between 1652 and 1714. During the 17th-century, the dominant view held that the Earth was at the center of the universe. Leclerc was a master at rendering complex scientific and mathematical concepts, whose skills were highly sought after in Louis XIV’s France. As court designer, engraver, and professor of geometry and perspective at the Académie Royale, Leclerc enjoyed prestige in a world that valued reason and scientific progress. This print illustrates complex principles of astronomy, portraying the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Leclerc’s visualization reflects a society grappling with new understandings of our place in the cosmos, set against older religious beliefs. He uses his craft to develop a novel narrative based on emerging scientific consensus. Consider how this image reflects the intellectual shifts of its time, and how it invites us to contemplate our own relationship with the universe.