Philosophy
The oldest printed star maps in the world, drawn by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, which show the northern skies teeming with the creatures of the zodiac, are to be sold at a Sotheby's auction in London with an estimate of up to £180,000.
Only a handful of surviving copies are known of the woodcut prints, published in Nuremberg. The charts were a commercial venture by Dürer and two astronomers, the German Conrad Heinfogel and the Viennese Johannes Stabius.
Despite the fantastic creations swirling through the heavens, the charts were also a serious and much-copied scientific undertaking, accurately placing the stars of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek scholar Ptolemy 1,300 years earlier. The southern hemisphere, not yet in 1515 mapped by astronomers, is almost empty in the prints.
The northern map is decorated with an image of Ptolemy, sporting an improbable top hat for second-century Alexandria, along with the Greek, Islamic and Roman astronomers Aratus, Al-Sufi and Marcus Manilius.
Only 10 other examples of the 1515 charts are known, all in academic or museum collections, and only three with contemporary hand colouring such as these.
Their provenance is unknown for centuries before they were bought by the present owner from a French dealer, who kept them for decades at his home.
Severine Nackers, head of Old Master prints at Sotheby's, said they probably survived in such good condition because they were folded in a book and kept away from light. They will be sold on Wednesday 30 March, along with other Dürers and works by Rembrandt, Edvard Munch and Paul Gauguin.
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Philosophy
Do you have a few extra £s for some old star charts?
"World's oldest star charts up for auction"
Woodcut prints created by German artist Albrecht Dürer and two astronomers expected to fetch up to £180,000 at Sotheby's sale
by
Maev Kennedy
March 21st, 2011
guardian.co.uk
Woodcut prints created by German artist Albrecht Dürer and two astronomers expected to fetch up to £180,000 at Sotheby's sale
by
Maev Kennedy
March 21st, 2011
guardian.co.uk
The oldest printed star maps in the world, drawn by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, which show the northern skies teeming with the creatures of the zodiac, are to be sold at a Sotheby's auction in London with an estimate of up to £180,000.
Only a handful of surviving copies are known of the woodcut prints, published in Nuremberg. The charts were a commercial venture by Dürer and two astronomers, the German Conrad Heinfogel and the Viennese Johannes Stabius.
Despite the fantastic creations swirling through the heavens, the charts were also a serious and much-copied scientific undertaking, accurately placing the stars of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek scholar Ptolemy 1,300 years earlier. The southern hemisphere, not yet in 1515 mapped by astronomers, is almost empty in the prints.
The northern map is decorated with an image of Ptolemy, sporting an improbable top hat for second-century Alexandria, along with the Greek, Islamic and Roman astronomers Aratus, Al-Sufi and Marcus Manilius.
Only 10 other examples of the 1515 charts are known, all in academic or museum collections, and only three with contemporary hand colouring such as these.
Their provenance is unknown for centuries before they were bought by the present owner from a French dealer, who kept them for decades at his home.
Severine Nackers, head of Old Master prints at Sotheby's, said they probably survived in such good condition because they were folded in a book and kept away from light. They will be sold on Wednesday 30 March, along with other Dürers and works by Rembrandt, Edvard Munch and Paul Gauguin.
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"Sotheby’s to offer first edition of Newton's 'Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy'" by Ashoke Nag Nov,ember 23rd, 2013 The Economic Times On 27th November 2013, Sotheby's London will offer a first edition of the most important...
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The miniature magazine contains 19 pages, each measuring 35mm x 61mm [1.4in x 2.4in]. "Paris museum wins Bronte bidding war" December 15th, 2011 BBC NEWS A French museum has won a bidding war for an unpublished Charlotte Bronte manuscript, dashing hopes...
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"Stradivarius violin sold for £9.8m at charity auction" June 21st, 2011 BBC NEWS A well-preserved Stradivarius violin has been sold in an online auction for £9.8m ($15.9m) to raise money for disaster relief in Japan. The violin was made in 1721 and...
- Planisphere...a Must Have Tool For Star Gazing
What is a planisphere..."...a star chart analog computing instrument in the form of two adjustable disks that rotate on a common pivot. It can be adjusted to display the visible stars for any time and date. It is an instrument to assist in learning...
- Greek Astronomy Texts
From Saint Anselm College a look at some of the original documents on Greek astronomy. Greek Astronomy One of the most powerful creations of Greek science was the mathematical astronomy created by Hipparchus in the second century B.C. and given final...