Astronomie en horologie 1768 - 1771

"Astronomie en horologie" was made by Jean Charles Delafosse around 1770, and is currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Delafosse was born in Paris and became a well-known architect, designer and engraver. During the Enlightenment there was an enormous drive to classify all human knowledge. A proliferation of encyclopedias sought to codify information and make it accessible to a wider audience. In this context, Delafosse's print can be viewed as a form of visual knowledge organization, encapsulating key symbols associated with astronomy and horology – the study of time. What I find particularly interesting about Delafosse’s approach is how he visually elevates these fields through classical motifs like wreaths and stone plinths. He transforms scientific disciplines into almost allegorical figures; astronomy is depicted with a telescope, horology with an obelisk and sundials. As you look at this print, consider how Delafosse merges the precision of science with the grandeur of art. It encapsulates the 18th-century desire to not just understand the world, but to ennoble human inquiry itself.