Natuurkundige modellen 1759

This undated print, "Natuurkundige modellen," by Nicolaas van Frankendaal, now residing in the Rijksmuseum, presents a series of diagrams which explain various theories in physics. Van Frankendaal was working during the Enlightenment, a period marked by the rise of reason and scientific inquiry. Yet, this pursuit of knowledge wasn't evenly distributed; access to education and scientific discourse was largely limited by gender and class. "Natuurkundige modellen" subtly reminds us of the social structures that shaped who could participate in the production and interpretation of scientific knowledge. The models depicted invite us to reflect on the physical laws governing the universe and perhaps even to question the unseen forces shaping human society. In viewing this work, consider how our understanding of science is always interwoven with the social and political contexts in which it's produced, leaving us to wonder whose voices were amplified and whose were silenced in the pursuit of knowledge.