The power of images in Early modern sciences

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The origin of this volume stems from a 1997 workshop in Berlin, part of a series organized under the Network on Science and Visual Images (1500-1800), funded by the European Science Foundation and initiated by William Shea. The contributions have been thoroughly revised and supplemented with additional invited papers for publication. This work aims to highlight the complex role of images in the early modern period, emphasizing their mediating function between science and its cultural context, as well as between practical knowledge and theoretical reflection in scientific theories. The analysis of images is presented as a crucial aspect of the history of science, linked to a broader cultural history and serving as a historical epistemology of knowledge. This volume seeks to address the often-neglected significance of images in the history of science, challenging the traditional focus on texts. However, it does not provide a systematic or comprehensive account of scientific images during the early modern period. Instead, it reflects the original intention of the Network to contribute to a historical reconstruction of the role of images in the development of scientific understanding.