click here to zoom
Copernican Solar System. CELLARIUS, A. [Amsterdam, 1660] Scenographia Systematis Copernicani. 17 x 20 1/2 inches. Superb original color, heightened with gold; fine condition. In a fine, archival frame. Van Gent has provisionally identified the figure at lower left as Astraea, daughter of Zeus and Themis, and the figure at the right as Calliope. See the reference below for his account of the significance of these figures. Cellarius' charts were striking for their innovative designs that attempted to depict complex astronomical principles. Some, for example, artfully create the illusion of constellations superimposed on the earth as if viewed from outer space. Also, several create a sense of three-dimensionality to illustrate certain concepts. Cellarius' Harmonia Macrocosmica can also be seen as a celebration and explication of advances in astronomy and cosmology effected by Copernicus, Galileo and Brahe. While the Netherlands was not a center of astronomical learning at the time, the Dutch, nevertheless, played a key role in advancing knowledge in the field. It was there at the beginning of the 17th Century that a scientifically useful telescope was developed. Moreover, it was Dutch navigators venturing to the lower latitudes who identified several previously unobserved constellations that are not visible in the Northern Hemisphere. The result was visually delightful images that mingle complex astronomical data, portraits of important astronomers, and illustrations of instruments with playful, baroque ornamentation. Despite the evident success of Cellarius' charts in his day and their enduring appeal, he remains an obscure figure. He was a provincial academic, the Rector of the Latin School at Hoorn. Van Gent, R. H. Andreas Cellarius, p. 53; Stott, pp. 48-9; Whitfield, Mapping of the Heavens, pp. 60-1, front cover of dust jacket (detail).
One of Cellarius’ finest works, a magnificent rendering of the Copernican, sun-centered solar system employing a striking design of radiating lines. Its superb original color heightened with gold is of the most lavish type to found on a Cellarius chart. First edition, state two. The engraving presents a three-dimensional depiction as opposed to the planographic perspective of its companion plate. The emphasis of this design is how the sun affects the earth’s climate in the Copernican model: the earth is shown at four different phases of its orbit, corresponding to the four seasons. A band with the constellations of the zodiac and their astrological signs surrounds the orbits of the planets, of which Saturn is the outermost.
Price: $8,500.00