The ''Harmonia Macrocosmica'' is a

star atlas Celestial cartography, uranography, astrography or star cartography is the aspect of astronomy and branch of cartography concerned with mapping stars, galaxies, and other astronomical objects on the celestial sphere. Measuring the position ...

written by

Andreas Cellarius Andreas Cellarius (–1665) was a Dutch–German cartographer and cosmographer best known for his 1660 ''Harmonia Macrocosmica'', a major star atlas. Life He was born in Neuhausen, and was educated in Heidelberg. The Protestant Cellarius m ...

and published in 1660 by

Johannes Janssonius Johannes Janssonius (1588, Arnhem – buried July 11, 1664, Amsterdam) (born Jan Janszoon, in English also Jan Jansson) was a Dutch cartographer and publisher who lived and worked in Amsterdam in the 17th century. Biography Janssonius was ...

. The first part of the atlas contains copper plate prints depicting the world systems of

Claudius Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...

, and

Tycho Brahe Tycho Brahe ( ; born Tyge Ottesen Brahe; generally called Tycho (14 December 154624 October 1601) was a Danish astronomer, known for his comprehensive astronomical observations, generally considered to be the most accurate of his time. He was k ...

. At the end are star maps of the classical and further

constellations A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the earliest constellation ...

, the latter ones as introduced by

Julius Schiller Julius Schiller (c. 1580 – 1627) was a lawyer from Augsburg, who like his fellow citizen and colleague Johann Bayer published a star atlas in celestial cartography. In the year of his death, Schiller, with Bayer's assistance, published th ...

in his ''Coelum stellatum christianum'' of 1627. For its importance in the history of

celestial cartography Celestial cartography, uranography, astrography or star cartography is the aspect of astronomy and branch of cartography concerned with mapping stars, galaxies, and other astronomical objects on the celestial sphere. Measuring the position ...

, the ''Harmonia Macrocosmica'' is considered one of the notable masterworks from the Golden Age of Dutch/Netherlandish cartography ( 1570s–1670s), along with

Abraham Ortelius Abraham Ortelius (; also Ortels, Orthellius, Wortels; 4 or 14 April 152728 June 1598) was a Brabantian cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer, conventionally recognized as the creator of the first modern atlas, the ''Theatrum Orbis Terraru ...

's ''

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum ''Theatrum Orbis Terrarum'' (, "Theatre of the Orb of the World") is considered to be the first true modern atlas. Written by Abraham Ortelius, strongly encouraged by Gillis Hooftman and originally printed on 20 May 1570 in Antwerp, it consist ...

'' and

Johannes Blaeu Joan Blaeu (; 23 September 1596 – 21 December 1673) was a Dutch cartographer born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu. Life In 1620, Blaeu became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635, they publish ...

's ''

Atlas Maior The ''Atlas Maior'' is the final version of Joan Blaeu's atlas, published in Amsterdam between 1662 and 1672, in Latin (11 volumes), French (12 volumes), Dutch (9 volumes), German (10 volumes) and Spanish (10 volumes), containing 594 maps and a ...

''. It is often described as the most beautiful

celestial atlas Celestial cartography, uranography, astrography or star cartography is the aspect of astronomy and branch of cartography concerned with mapping stars, galaxies, and other astronomical objects on the celestial sphere. Measuring the position ...

ever published.

History

In the foreword to his ''Chronologica'',

Gerard Mercator Gerardus Mercator (; 5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594) was a 16th-century geographer, cosmographer and cartographer from the County of Flanders. He is most renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented sa ...

stated the intention to publish an atlas which would cover everything of the then-known cosmos, geography and history of the earth. During his life, Mercator published five volumes of his atlas, the last one being published by his son Rumold. After Mercator's death, the Amsterdam cartographer

took over the project. He and fellow-cartographer

Hendricus Hondius Hendrik Hondius I (born Hendrik de Hondt; 9 June 1573 – ) was a Southern Netherlands, Flemish-born and trained engraver, cartographer, and publisher who settled in the Dutch Republic in 1597. Life He was born as the son of Guillam (Will ...

published their ''Novus Atlas'' in 1636, which featured over 320 maps in four languages. In 1660, Andreas Cellarius' ''Harmonia Macrocosmica'' was published as the seventh volume of the project. With the final addition of a volume describing the cities of the world from 1657, the project was finally completed.

Origins of the engravings

Of the various engravers and authors who worked on the plates of the atlas, only two have signed their work. The frontispiece of the atlas was created by Frederik Hendrik van den Hove and ten other plates were engraved by Johannes van Loon. Moreover, all the designs of the classical constellations were taken from the ones created by

Jan Pieterszoon Saenredam Jan Pieterszoon Saenredam (1565 – 6 April 1607) was a Dutch Northern Mannerist painter, printmaker in engraving, and cartographer, and father of the painter of church interiors, Pieter Jansz Saenredam. He is noted for the many allegorical images ...

References

*Van Gent, Robert H. (2006), ''Andreas Cellarius, Harmonia Macrocosmica of 1660'', TASCHEN,
Bio-bibliography of Andreas Cellarius

External links

{{commonscat-inline, Cellarius Harmonia Macrocosmica, ''Cellarius Harmonia Macrocosmica''

''Harmonia Macrocosmica''Digitized example of the 1661 ''Harmonia Macrocosmica'' at RareMaps.com
17th-century Dutch books Astronomy books Classical star atlases Dutch celestial cartography in the Age of Discovery Astronomy in the Dutch Republic

History

Origins of the engravings

See also

References

External links