From "Bizzarie di varie Figure" 1624

This etching from Giovanni Battista Bracelli’s 1624 book “Bizzarie di varie Figure” features two humanoid figures constructed entirely of interlocking circles, wheels, and gears. The figures are depicted in a playful interaction, with one figure appearing to throw a ball at the other, highlighting the artist's interest in fantastical mechanisms. The detailed rendering of these intricate, almost mechanical bodies, speaks to the growing fascination with the power of technology and its potential for transforming the human form. Bracelli's work is a fascinating example of the intersection of art, science, and imagination in the early 17th century.