Microscopische opname van kristallen, zestig keer vergroot

This is a microscopic photograph of crystals, magnified sixty times, by Marinus Pieter Filbri. Filbri lived at a time of enormous social and scientific change. The late 19th century saw the rise of scientific positivism and a belief in empirical observation. Yet, the stark geometry of these crystals, captured through the lens of a microscope, can be strangely evocative. It feels hard to consider this image divorced from the politics of seeing, and knowing, at the time. What did it mean for Filbri, as a white, presumably middle-class man, to wield the power of scientific observation? Consider how scientific images can often reinforce existing power structures. This image, while seemingly objective, is also a product of a particular time, place, and social position. It invites us to reflect on the relationship between science, observation, and the construction of knowledge.