Rekenaar 1719

This etching by Kaspar Frans de Rees, made in the 17th or 18th century, depicts a man hunched over his work at a counting table, surrounded by symbols of commerce. Above, a series of numbers suggest the abstract, almost mystical nature of mathematics, akin to ancient numerology. The abacus-like calculator the man uses echoes the ancient world, calling to mind the Roman abacus with its beads sliding across the frame. The composition's emotional weight lies in the tension between the human figure and the abstract realm of numbers. We see this same theme play out in medieval depictions of scribes laboring over sacred texts, a link between human effort and higher knowledge. The image suggests a cyclical return to the fundamental tools of calculation, which have been resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings in different historical contexts.