Haemisphaerium Stellatum Australe aequali sphaerum proportione.
17 x 20 ¼ inches. Superb original color, fine condition. Archivally framed.
A stunning chart depicting the constellations of primarily the southern skies superimposed over a large portion of the Western Hemisphere, including most of the continental United States. The stars are shown suspended in a transparent sphere rotating around Earth. We look beyond the constellations and can view the globe below, contextualizing the images of the stars and fixing them in an orderly universe where planets and stars alike move gracefully in nested spheres around the globe. Cellarius’s were the only star charts that attempted to create this ingenious illusion, and this work stands as one of the most arresting images of Dutch map engraving of the 17th century. At the time this chart was produced, it represented the most modern, up-to-date depiction of the stars.
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