Microscoopopname van bederfbacteriën before 1885

This is a lithograph made by Gustav Hauser, a German physician, as part of his research into the unseen world of microbes. Here, Hauser takes scientific data and transforms it into a visual document, a meticulous tracing of decay bacteria viewed under a microscope. The print's creation involved skilled labor, from the preparation of the lithographic stone to the printing process itself. The image is crisp, with clear delineation within the bacteria. The use of lithography allowed for detailed reproduction, vital for scientific accuracy. It is fascinating to think of this image as the product of multiple forms of work. Not only the cultivation and observation of microbes, but also the physical labor of drawing and printing. Thinking about this image, we are prompted to consider the cultural significance of scientific visualization, and the labor involved in revealing the unseen. It challenges traditional notions of art by embedding scientific inquiry within the realm of visual culture.