Zes microscoopopnamen van bacteriën, waaronder tyfus en cholerabacillen before 1890

Carl Günther created this print featuring microscopic images of bacteria, including those responsible for typhus and cholera. The composition is starkly divided. A blank page faces one filled with six circular images arranged in a grid. These magnified views, rendered in monochrome, invite a sense of scientific scrutiny, yet their grainy textures evoke the imprecision of early microbiological techniques. The circular frames isolate and abstract the bacteria, transforming them into formal elements. The formal arrangement speaks to a desire to categorize and understand the microscopic world. However, the images’ cloudy and indistinct forms resist easy classification. The stark contrast between the sterile white background and the organic forms hints at the tension between scientific aspiration and the inherent complexities of living matter. This visual structure doesn't just present data, it engages with the philosophical challenge of representing the invisible. It reminds us that even scientific images are constructions, framing and shaping our understanding.