Constellation or Celestial Chart of Unicorn, Dog

Artist or Author: John Flamsteed

Work: Atlas Celeste

Date of Publication: 1776

Style: Engraving with Exceptional Professional Hand-coloring with Gold Highlights

Paper Size: ~ 10 1/4" by 8 1/2" (Fold Out)

Condition: The work is in very good to excellent condition overall. There may be a few minor marks or imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.

Description of the work:

This captivating celestial engraving is from John Flamsteed's Atlas Celeste. The work was published in Paris by J. Fortin and F. G. Deschamps in 1776.

Each engraving has been splendidly hand-colored with gold highlights to the stars. The work featured some of the most accurate and detailed star charts available for the time. Jean Fortin was responsible for reducing the plates from the large folio publication of Flamsteed's atlas. This is the second edition of the atlas with the engravings worked on by P. C. Le Monnier and François Pasumot.

John Flamsteed (1646-1719) was the first Royal Astronomer. Flamsteed spent nearly half a century observing and recording the sky. He catalogued over 3000 stars in his life. Flamsteed also worked to correct Bayer's represnetations of the constellation figures. However, as he did not want to release unverified data, he kept his records under seal in Greenwich. His observations were pulled for publication in 1712 by Isaac Newton and Edmund Halley, as commissioned by the king. Flamsteed refused to publish for the king, but Newton pirated 400 publications, of which Flamsteed managed to gather 300 of these and burn them.