Description
Early c.18th double hemisphere celestial chart, centred on the poles and showing the constellations according to ancient classical mythology.
In Greek mythology, the constellations primarily consisted of heroes and beasts favored by the gods. They were immortalised in the stars as a tribute to their deeds, seen as semi-divine spirits, conscious entities that traversed the heavens.
At top left and right, there are depictions of the Sun by Kircher and of the Moon by Cassini. A number of planets are also depicted at bottom by Cassini. The constellation figures are derived from the prototypes in Bayer’s Uranometria and the spheres are surrounded by several diagrams of the sun, moon, and planets and mythical figures.
From: De Fer, L’Atlas Curieux ou le Monde Réprésenté dans des Cartes Générales et Particulières du Ciel et de la Terre
