Bilder Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680) – View of the Lunar Phases and Solar Influence – Engraving (1665)

Beskrivning

"HYDROGRAPHICUS." This engraving illustrates a complex astronomical diagram showing the Earth at the center of the lunar orbit, featuring the various phases of the moon and the radiating influence of the sun. The technical nature is a copper engraving set within a page of Latin text. It was published in the monumental work Mundus Subterraneus, printed in Amsterdam by Joannes Janssonius van Waesberge and Elizaeus Weyerstraten. This diagram is significant for documenting Kircher's seventeenth-century scientific theories regarding the celestial mechanics of tides, specifically how the combined light and positions of the sun and moon impact the movement of the Earth's waters.

Athanasius Kircher was a German Jesuit scholar and polymath who published approximately forty major works on subjects ranging from oriental studies and geology to medicine and music. Based at the Roman College, he was a central figure in the seventeenth-century Republic of Letters, corresponding with scientists and thinkers across the globe. His primary contribution was the synthesis of diverse fields of knowledge into massive, lavishly illustrated volumes that blended empirical observation with speculative philosophy. Kircher's astronomical and hydrographic studies were foundational in the early development of the earth sciences, documenting the natural world through a deeply curious and systematic lens.

Artist or Maker: Athanasius Kircher.

Dimensions: Approximately 40 cm x 23 cm.

Medium: Engraving.

Date: 1665.

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.