Microscopische opname van de vleugel van een mug, 25 keer vergroot 1887 - 1888

Editor: Here we have "Microscopische opname van de vleugel van een mug, 25 keer vergroot," a photographic print by Marinus Pieter Filbri, dating back to 1887-1888. It's striking how something so delicate has been captured with such clarity. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: It’s a fascinating glimpse into the late 19th-century fascination with scientific exploration and how that seeped into artistic practice. Consider the rise of photography at the time, and the growing interest in natural sciences fueled by figures like Darwin. What public appetite did these kinds of images fulfill? Editor: I guess people were fascinated by the invisible world being made visible? Did the public have access to things like microscopes? Curator: Precisely! Photography through a microscope democratized scientific observation. The power wasn't just with scientists anymore. Think about the influence on art! Suddenly, realism gets a shot in the arm, informed by what photography can reveal about detail. Also, where do you see a hint of ‘memento mori’, a kind of contemplation of mortality, in viewing a single magnified insect wing? Editor: That’s an interesting thought! I suppose the fragility and ephemerality of the insect wing, magnified to this scale, makes it feel quite vulnerable, even fleeting. I hadn't considered how scientific advances affected what and how people saw things! Curator: Indeed. And art both reflects and shapes these perceptions. Reflect on what art has power to reveal when fused with other practices, such as science, philosophy, or even public service. Editor: Absolutely! I'll definitely be looking at other works from this era with that perspective.