Baan van de Aarde om de Zon met de dierenriem 1706

This is Sébastien Leclerc’s rendering of "The Earth's Orbit around the Sun with the Zodiac", an engraving produced in the late 17th or early 18th century. The image presents a series of concentric circles and radial lines meticulously arranged to represent the earth’s orbit. Leclerc uses a formal structure reminiscent of astronomical diagrams, but pushes beyond mere representation. Lines create segments and directional cues that convey the celestial mechanics and zodiacal signs which become a symbolic language. The careful geometry serves not just as a visual aid but as a semiotic system in which each component represents an element of cosmological understanding. The engraving is not simply about illustrating the cosmos; it invites consideration of how we map, codify, and understand our place within it. The composition thus destabilizes any fixed meaning, encouraging an ongoing dialogue between observation, representation, and knowledge.