Visualizing the Unknown

Scientific Observation, Representation, and Communication in 17th-century Science and Society

What is Visualizing the Unknown?

Imaging the Microworld

Here we present some images from our ongoing research, including: photos from the MicroLabs and of original microscopes, as well as original drawings and prints. Captions and credits are underneath the image. Spectacular video’s of the microworld as seen through original seventeenth-century microscopes can be found on the MicroLabs page. For more information on image rights and copyrights please scroll down at our About page.

Our Partners

This six-year project is financed by NWO (the Dutch Research Council), grant nr 406.20.FR.012. Institutional embedding and support is provided by the Huygens Institute (KNAW-Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science, Amsterdam); the Bibliotheca Hertziana–Max Planck Institute for Art History (Rome) and, during the first phase (2021-2023) Rijksmuseum Boerhaave (Leiden). Additional partners are Leiden University, the Royal Society (London), the Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) and the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Fitzwilliam Museum (University of Cambridge).