Although little is known about the life of Andreas Cellarius (born around 1596), his work Atlas Coelestis, seu Harmonia Macrocosmica” is well known among collectors of celestial maps for the unique Baroque style of its 29 double plates. The first 21 plates constitute a historical survey of cosmological theories, illustrating the motions of the sun and planets according to Ptolemy, Copernicus and Tycho Brahe. The last eight plates are celestial hemispheres and planispheres depicting the constellations; they are the most ornate of all, and their level of artistic detail has made these plates popular among collectors of fine art. Cellarius� atlas had its first printing in 1660 and went through two subsequent printings in 1661 and 1666. Theses images come from a reprint by the Amsterdam publishers Gerard Valk and Petrus Schenk, who purchased the original plates in 1694 and in 1708 produced a new edition of the Harmonia Macrocosmica without the extensive Latin text that had accompanied the original printings. This particular map is of the southern hemisphere of both the starry vault and the Earth, shown scenographically. It is plate number 28.”
Additional information
Weight | 0.25 lbs |
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Dimensions | 36 × 30 × 0.002 in |
Map Maker: A. Cellarius/Valk & Schenk
Original Production Year: 1708
Original Production Year: 1708