Allegorie van de wiskunde 1745

This is an engraving titled "Allegory of Mathematics," made by an anonymous artist. Within its ornamental frame, we find a symbolic representation, common during its era. An allegory of mathematics is depicted as a woman, robed, and accompanied by a cherubic figure. She rests her hand on a globe, subtly invoking the colonial project and how mathematical knowledge was used to map, claim, and extract from the earth. The winged putto holds a drafting board and triangle - tools of geometry. She is a figure of knowledge but also one complicit in the power structures of her time. Consider how mathematical and scientific pursuits were historically gendered, often excluding women from these fields, even as they were allegorically represented by them. This engraving prompts us to reflect on the complex intersections of knowledge, gender, and power, and how they have shaped our understanding of the world.