Planisphere of the Celestial Globe

Francesco Brunacci - 1687

The canvas that we propose on this page, due to the object treated, differs from all the collector's items displayed here: we are not talking about a planisphere of the terrestrial globe, but instead of the "Planisphere of the celestial globe" by Francesco Brunacci. In this reproduction, the emerged lands or the oceans are not represented. The subject of the representation are the 67 constellations in use in the seventeenth century, being this work published in 1687. Specifically, here we can identify the 48 Ptolemaic constellations, to which are added among others, the 12 constellations of the Southern Hemisphere introduced by Keyser and Houtman. To conceive this drawing, Brunacci started from Bayer's Uranometria of 1603, to then treasure the subsequent studies.

A seventeenth-century description of the celestial globe.

Two celestial globes, namely the Arctic and the Antarctic, accompanied by a series of scrolls showing the necessary information to better interpret the print. To give further elegance to the work, the classic representation of cherubs above the clouds, as well as - moving away from the habit of accompanying the planispheres with allegorical images - the representation of astronomers at work. This extremely faithful reproduction consists of 8 single sheets which, like the original, have been mounted on canvas, in order to facilitate transport and conservation. Both paper and canvas are made of 100% pure cotton. A manual press was used for printing, to give the collector the fascinating tactile sensation that only engravings can give. Special vegetable substances are used to age the canvas.

*** Our canvases are printed with a hand press and are produced on request only. It takes about 10 days for the Black & White version and about 20 days for the Hand-painted.

Attention: the canvases are delivered without frame.