Baan van de Zon rond het centrum van de Aarde 1706

Sébastien Leclerc I created this small engraving, titled "Path of the Sun around the center of the Earth," using etching. It's a diagram of a geocentric model of the solar system, where the Earth is at the center, and the sun revolves around it. Made in France in the 17th century, it reflects the dominant scientific and religious views of the time, supported by institutions like the Church and universities. The image encodes meaning through geometric shapes and lines, referencing classical and medieval cosmological diagrams. This model predates the heliocentric one, which put the sun at the center. By the time this was made, the heliocentric theory had already been proposed, but was yet to be widely accepted. Therefore, this image reflects the scientific and cultural tensions of its time. Historians use various sources, including scientific texts, religious documents, and artistic representations, to understand how societies perceive and represent the world. Art serves as a cultural artifact, reflecting the beliefs, values, and power structures of its era.