Apparaat om stereofoto's te maken before 1901

This image, in what looks like an old book by Adolphe Louis Donnadieu, shows an ‘Apparaat om stereofoto's te maken’ - or a device to take stereoscopic photographs. What I love is the way the crisp monochrome printmaking renders this object. There's a flattening of space, yet the meticulous shading gives a clear sense of form and depth. The device is a boxy assemblage of parts - and yet, it is so beautifully rendered, it feels almost sculptural. The level of detail invites a close look. You can almost feel the cool touch of metal and the matte texture of the bellows. It’s incredible to think about the ingenuity and precision required to build such a device, and then to draw it! For me, this work echoes the detailed drawings of scientific instruments by artists like Leonardo da Vinci. It reminds us that art and science aren't separate disciplines but are intertwined in the human quest to understand and represent the world around us.