Constructie van een gelijkbenige driehoek in een vierkant met onderaan een man op een plein 1669

Sébastien Leclerc I created this print, "Construction of an Isosceles Triangle in a Square with a Man in a Square Below", using etching. Notice how the composition is divided into two distinct registers: above, we see a geometric diagram, meticulously rendered, showing how to inscribe an isosceles triangle within a square and circle. Below, there’s a miniature scene of a man standing in a town square. This juxtaposition creates an intriguing dialogue between abstract geometry and real-world observation. Leclerc’s use of line is precise, almost scientific, in the diagram, while in the lower scene, the lines become softer, suggesting atmosphere and depth. Semiotically, the diagram functions as a set of instructions, a code to be deciphered. The townscape, in contrast, represents lived experience, a space of human activity. This contrast destabilizes the viewer's expectations; it challenges us to find a connection between these seemingly disparate realms. Ultimately, Leclerc compels us to consider how abstract principles relate to the tangible world.