Figures of Planispheres and World Maps — Antique Celestial Print

This plate's French title, "Figures de Planisphères, Mappemondes et...," points to its origin in an illustrated cosmography textbook, the genre of instructional astronomy and geography books that flourished in France from the 16th through 18th centuries. Such books paired planispheres, flat projections of the celestial sphere, with world maps and diagrams of the solar system, teaching readers to understand the heavens and the earth as two halves of a single connected science. These composite astronomical plates were often the most visually elaborate pages in such books, meant to summarize an entire cosmological worldview within a single, carefully organized diagram.

Materials & origin

• Material: 200 gsm gallery-grade, acid-free fine-art paper (FSC-certified).
• Print: Archival giclée, 12-colour printing, smooth matte finish for glare-free display.
• Artwork: Restored from a public-domain original; colour and detail digitally cleaned for large-format print.
• Origin: Made on demand and shipped from the print hub nearest you, cutting transit and waste.
• Framing: Sold unframed; ships rolled in a protective tube.