Hand met passer 1669

Sébastien Leclerc I created this print entitled 'Hand met passer', sometime in the late 17th century. Leclerc was the official draughtsman and engraver for Louis XIV, and his work reveals the values and order of the Sun King’s court. On the surface, this print seems to offer a geometrical lesson, neatly framed by ornate decorations. Yet, look closely at the hand holding the compass. The hand is adorned with an elaborate lace cuff, connoting the wealth and privilege of the aristocracy. In 17th-century France, even mathematics was shaped by social status. Geometry, like many forms of knowledge, was not neutral but marked by the identities of those who had access to it. Leclerc, who gained entry into elite circles through his art, both reflected and reinforced the era's social hierarchies through images like this. Consider how something as abstract as geometry becomes entwined with the era's politics and class distinctions, subtly shaping our understanding of knowledge itself.