Opbouw van een loodrechte lijn met onderaan twee mannen in Oosterse kledij aan een rivier 1669

Sébastien Leclerc I created this print, “Construction of a Perpendicular Line with Two Men in Oriental Clothing by a River Below,” sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century using etching. At first glance, the image seems divided: technical diagrams sit above a serene landscape featuring two figures in what was then termed “Oriental” dress. This juxtaposition invites us to consider how Europe, during the Enlightenment, viewed both reason and the “Orient.” Leclerc, working in a time of increasing global interaction, presents us with a world where mathematical precision exists alongside exoticized representations of other cultures. The presence of the men, their clothing marking them as “other,” subtly hints at the power dynamics inherent in the era's pursuit of knowledge and expansion. Are they merely observers of this construction, or are they being constructed themselves, through the lens of European perception? This print quietly speaks volumes about the complexities of identity and representation in a world on the cusp of profound change.