On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Lunar Map, in Selenography, or the Description of the Moon (Selenographia: sive Lunae descriptio)

Johannes Hevelius Polish
Publisher Andreas Hënefeld

Not on view

The first book entirely dedicated to the moon, Selenography contains the Polish astronomer Hevelius’s engravings describing all forty phases, as well as three lunar maps. Framing the composite map shown here are clusters of cherubs holding banners, peering through telescopes, and making drawings. These Baroque symbols of divine agency present the cosmos as the heavenly domain of the gods, reflecting a worldview that mingled art, science, and religion.

Lunar Map, in Selenography, or the Description of the Moon (Selenographia: sive Lunae descriptio), Johannes Hevelius (Polish, Gdańsk 1611–1687 Gdańsk), Engraving

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.