Heelal met aarde, zon, maan en sterren en het tetragram 1721

Bernard Picart made this engraving of the cosmos in 1721. Here, earth, sun, moon and stars are all present, but so too is the Tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew letters of the divine name. Made in the Netherlands, this image reflects a culture grappling with emerging scientific discoveries and the challenge these posed to traditional religious beliefs. Picart, though of Huguenot heritage, was known for his engravings documenting the religious rituals of many cultures. This work blends scientific observation with theological assertion, offering a vision of a divinely ordered universe. The prominent display of the Tetragrammaton suggests an effort to reconcile faith and reason in an age of scientific advancement. Understanding this image fully requires delving into the intellectual and religious debates of the early 18th century, as well as study of the history of the institutions that helped to support both religious and scientific communities.