Luchtpartikels onder invloed van verschillende temperaturen 1706

This print by Sébastien Leclerc I visualizes air particles under different temperatures. Made in France, sometime between 1670 and 1714, this work reflects a specific moment in the history of science, when the understanding of matter was undergoing a profound transformation. Leclerc’s image isn't just an objective record; it's a visual argument. The print uses the visual language of the time to make an argument about the composition of air at a time when scientific institutions were just starting to codify their practices. In considering this print, the art historian can draw on a number of resources. By researching the scientific literature of the period, the institutional history of the French academy of sciences, and the visual culture of scientific illustration, we can start to reconstruct the social and intellectual context that gave rise to images such as this.