Image and Idea in the History of the Earth, 1650-1750

The seventeenth century witnessed a surge of studies that deal with the interior, history and make-up of planet Earth. In the realms of theology, (biblical) history, mining, geography, alchemy or the study of fossils, natural philosophers and other specialists were exploring the different histories of the Earths creation, development and make-up. Over the course of roughly a century, the understanding of ‘Earth’ changed radically – not only in terms of ideas, but also in terms of representation. Many of the works that dealt with the subject include rich and complex illustrations. Moreover, the status of visual knowledge notably changed in this period, as did the way in which visual knowledge was produced and constituted. In the case of the earth, the epistemological nature of visual material is even more complex: one of the great problems these authors were facing was the fact that they are discussing (and representing) something that cannot be seen, but has instead to be imagined. The use of visual material both shows the changes in visual epistemology in this period, as well as the intricate relationship between image and idea. This paper will study the role of visual material seventeenth and eighteenth century (1650-1750) studies on the history and nature of the earth. With special attention for the role that visual material plays in constituting and facilitating changing conceptions of ‘earth’, it focuses both on key players such as Leibniz and Descartes as well as the publishers and illustrators that shaped these works.