Microscopische weergave van heemst before 1896

This image shows a microscopic view of the common marsh mallow leaves as drawn by Léon Herlant in an unbound book. The composition is defined by a circle on the right page of the book, with the details of the hairs of the marsh mallow leaves as the core subject. The thin lines of the hairs are arranged in a radiating pattern from a central point and captured within the circular frame. The monochromatic palette enhances the sense of scientific observation. Herlant's image challenges our understanding of scale and perception. The use of the circle, a shape often associated with wholeness and unity, paradoxically frames a fragment of nature. The image prompts us to consider how scientific representation intersects with artistic interpretation, revealing the hidden structures and textures of the natural world. The artwork invites an ongoing dialogue between the visible and the unseen, the part and the whole.