Cellarius Atlas - by Robert Van Gent (Hardcover)

About the Book

Ascend to the stars via a famously dazzling 17th-century atlas of 29 double-folio celestial maps, created by a master cartographer and cosmologer. Representing thinkers from Ptolemy to Copernicus, the richly adorned skies, ornate borders and constellations in this gorgeous reprint revive history's most breathtaking visions of the skies.

Book Synopsis

Travel to a time and universe where science and art intertwined, and the heavens were charted with breathtaking beauty. This unique volume revives Andreas Cellarius's 17th-century masterpiece, an iconic atlas that captured man's ambition to grasp infinity. First published in 1660, its 29 sweeping, double-folio maps detail the vast celestial systems of Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Tycho Brahe, alongside intricate motions of the sun, moon, and planets. Each plate is a vision of wonder: constellations traced across radiant skies are framed by opulent borders adorned with cherubs, astronomers, and instruments of discovery. Often described as the most beautiful celestial atlas ever published, Harmonia Macrocosmica is one of the masterworks from the Golden Age of Dutch map-making. More than a visual feast, this reprint includes an illustrated introduction by renowned scholar Robert van Gent that delineates the journey from ancient stargazers to the scientific revolution. He lays out the cultural, historical, and astronomical significance of Cellarius's magnum opus, as well as the craftsmanship of his publisher, Johannes Janssonius. A detailed appendix further enriches the voyage, listing constellation myths, star names, and technical glossaries that illuminate every turn of the page. This volume is both a delight for the senses and a portal to the skies as they were once mapped, at a time when the universe itself was viewed as work of art. For dreamers, scholars, and astonomers alike, Cellarius's heavens still inspire awe, inviting us to lose ourselves in the theater of the cosmos.

Review Quotes

"How earlier scholars imagined the cartography of earth and sky becomes tangible in the opulent illustrated volume Cellarius Atlas. It is both a journey through the cosmos and a voyage through the history of cartography. The celestial systems captivate with their large-scale color prints. Robert van Gent sheds light on the life and work of the cartographer and cosmologist Andreas Cellarius, who in 1660 created one of the most beautiful and influential atlases in the history of science, the Harmonia Macrocosmica."-- "Der Standard"

"Opulent and created with great artistic ambition, these cartographic works are truly magnificent. What a heavenly book this astronomical atlas, first published in Amsterdam in 1660, is. Science and artistic representation form a perfect harmony. Each map is an expression of wonder. The reprint, newly published by TASCHEN in its customary quality and large format, offers not only a feast for the eyes but also historical and clearly written scientific explanations that help the reader navigate the theatre of the cosmos without losing their way."-- "Die Presse"

"The rediscovery of a celestial masterpiece... Each map is an expression of wonder at the order of the cosmos. The heaven was not merely an object of study, but an aesthetic and spiritual experience."-- "Rolling Stone"

"This collection of celestial maps by Dutch-German mathematician and cosmographer Andreas Cellarius brings back to life a masterpiece from the Golden Age of celestial cartography."-- "The Globe and Mail"