The Celestial Map- Northern Hemisphere
Original title: The Celestial Map- Northern Hemisphere
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's 1515 woodcut presents the northern celestial hemisphere. It displays the twelve signs of the zodiac with their figures and other constellations, their names inscribed in Latin. At the centre lies the Earth, surrounded by the elaborated constellations.
Description
The layout feels balanced: the terrestrial map at the centre, the constellations distributed around it. The zodiac figures appear in various poses, some holding attributes like arrows or scales. In the upper corners, two allegorical figures each present a sphere studded with stars. Latin inscriptions name the constellations and their positions. The sheet remains monochrome, with even lighting typical of a woodcut.
Context
The map was made in 1515 in Nuremberg, with Dürer drawing on the star positions of the astronomy of his day. It belonged to a pair of woodcuts showing the northern and southern skies. The sheet served both science and as a representative piece; it reveals the influence of the Renaissance on cartography.
Impact
The precise linework and balanced arrangement produce a clear, ordered vision of the heavens. Because of the many elaborated figures, the scientific print also feels aesthetic, almost ornamental.
Technique
For a print of its time, the sheet is unusually large at 61.3 x 45.6 cm, giving the symmetrical arrangement of the earth at the center and the zodiac figures around it ample room. Fine lines and hatching model the figures and the terrestrial map, while the monochrome impression keeps the entire composition evenly legible across the full format.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)