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Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr 1
The Orbits of Venus and Mercury: An 18th C. Framed Celestial Map by Doppelmayr

1736

About the Item

This 18th century hand-colored copperplate celestial map by Johann Doppelmayr entitled "Phænomena Motuum Irregularium quos Planetar inferiores Venus et Mercurius ad annum Salutis MDCCX," ("Regular Phenomena of the Lower Planetar Motions of Venus and Mercury for the Year 1710") was incorporated as plate 7 in 'Atlas Novus Coelestis in quo Mundus Spectabilis', first published in Nuremberg, Germany in 1735 in association with the heirs of the famous and prolific cartographer and printer Johann Baptist Homann. 'Atlas Novus Coelestis in Quo Mundus spectabilis, et in Eodem Tam Errantium Quam Inerrantium Stellarum Phoenomena notabilia, Circa Ipsarum lumen, figuram, faciem, motum, Eclipses.secundum Nic. Copernici, et Ex Parte Tychonis De Brahe, Hypothesin' (The New Atlas of the Celestial World in which the World is to be Looked at, and the Phenomena Notable in the Same of the Errants and the Inerrant Stars, with respect to their light, shape, face, motion, and eclipses according to Nic. Copernicus and Tycho De Brahe: Hypothesis) includes diagrams illustrating the planetery systems of Copernicus, Tycho, and Riccioli; the elliptic theories of Kepler, Boulliau, Seth Ward, and Mercator; the lunar theories of Tycho, Horrocks, and Newton; and Halley's cometary theory. This plate and others were originally created by Doppelmayr for scientific publication by the academic society Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum to show the movements of Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus and Earth according to Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), who combined Copernican and Ptolemaic astronomical systems in his attempt to explain the universe through observed data, including the orbits of the known planets at the time. This celestial chart/map depicts the heliocentric motions of the planets Mercury and Venus during the year 1710, with two diagrams depicting the transit of Mercury across the Sun on November 5, 1710 and the predicted transit of Venus across the Sun on June 6, 1761, demonstrated through Copernican mathematical theories. The planets are illustrated in a vignette as allegorical figures in chariots; Venus (Aphrodite) accompanied by the moon is in a chariot drawn by six horses and driven by a child figure racing above the clouds. Mercury's (Hermes) chariot sits above clouds. It is driven by a putti and drawn by two birds. Above Mercury, Zeus (Jupiter) sits astride the sun. Zodiac symbols, including Leo and Cancer, are depicted above the vignette. This framed 18th century double page hand-colored engraved celestial map is printed on chain-linked laid paper. It is presented in an attractive polished medium brown-colored frame with contrasting black inner and outer trim. The frame measures 31.13" high by 34.88" wide by 1" in depth. There are a few small frame abrasions. The double mat consists of a beige fabric outer mat and a cranberry-colored inner mat. There is a central fold, as issued with mild separation of the lower fold, but the visible portions of the print are otherwise in very good condition. There are two other Doppelmayr/Homann celestial maps that are listed on our 1stdibs storefront that are presented in identical frames and maps. Two or three of these would make for an attractive and impressive display grouping. A discount will be extended for the purchase of multiple maps. Please reach out to us for more details about these striking and interesting celestial maps. Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr (1677-1750) was a famous German geographer and astronomer, who was Professor of Mathematics at the Aegidien Gymnasium in Nuremberg, Germany. He wrote extensively on astronomy, geography, cartography, spherical trigonometry, sundials and mathematical and other scientific instruments and was involved in the production of terrestrial and celestial globes. He was a member of the Royal Society of London and the Berlin and St. Petersburg Academies of Sciences. In the early 1700s, Doppelmayr created astronomical and cosmological plates that were incorporated in atlases published by Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1724), first published in 1712 in Homann’s Atlas von hundert Charten and reprinted in his Grossen Atlas in 1716. They continued to be published after Homann's death by his heirs until 1848. Thirty of these plates were published in the Atlas Novus Coelestis in quo Mundus Spectabilis. Twenty of these plates focused on the cosmological systems of Copernicus and Tycho Brahe, as well as known details of the planets and other bodies in the solar system. The other ten plates focussed on constellations and the locations known stars and comets. Johann Baptist Homann (1663-1724) was a mapmaker who founded a respected and prolific publishing company, which continued long after his death as Homann Heirs. Homann lived his entire life in Bavaria, particularly in Nuremberg. Initially, Johann trained to become a priest before converting to Protestantism and working as a notary. In 1702, Johann founded a publishing house that specialized in engravings. The firm flourished, becoming the leading map publisher in Germany and an important entity in the European map market. In 1715, Johann was named Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Empire by Charles VI and made a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Most importantly for his business, his reputation and contacts gained him imperial printing privileges which protected his publications and recommended him to customers.
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