Description:

pen and brown ink
471 x 570 mm

Provenance:

Private collection, Italy

Note:

This map charts the constellations, or the so-called “voûte celeste” (heavenly canopy), of the Southern Hemisphere. The canopy is depicted as a circle comprising nine progressively smaller circles. These circles are evenly subdivided by 24 lines which emanate from the centre of the chart, representing the hours of the day. 

Set within the canopy’s circle are numerous drawings in pen and brown ink personifying and symbolizing the constellations. The canopy itself carries various adages written in brown ink, reflecting on the stars, planets, and formations. These adages are complemented by four longer panels of text in the sheet’s corners, which revel in the infinite majesty of the sky.

“Contemple, et contemple sans peine!”

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