Title: Terrestrial and Celestial Globes – Brion de la Tour, 1766
Subtitle: Enlightenment-Era Representation of the Earth and Heavens

Description:
This exquisite hand-colored copperplate engraving from the mid-18th century presents two globes side-by-side: the Globe Terrestre (Earth Globe) and the Globe Céleste (Celestial Globe). These spheres represent the scientific understanding of geography and astronomy during the Age of Enlightenment.

The terrestrial globe displays the continents, notably Asia in a pink hue, based on contemporary cartographic knowledge. The celestial globe features zodiac constellations and mythological figures, as seen from Earth’s perspective of the heavens. Both globes are richly decorated and rest on ornate baroque stands, framed by an elegant rococo border.

This engraving is part of the Atlas Général, Civil, Militaire et Ecclésiastique, one of the most important cartographic publications of the 18th century, by the royal cartographer Louis Brion de la Tour, published by Louis-Charles Desnos.

Cartographer:
Louis Brion de la Tour (1756–1823) was Ingénieur-Géographe du Roi, renowned for his precise and artistic cartographic and scientific works. In collaboration with Louis-Charles Desnos, the royal Danish map publisher, he created some of the finest Enlightenment-era atlases.

Key Features:

• Original 1766 copperplate engraving

• Hand-colored celestial and terrestrial globes

• Educational scientific illustration with rich baroque styling

• From Atlas Général, Civil, Militaire et Ecclésiastique

• Rare depiction of Enlightenment understanding of space and Earth

Size:

• Sheet: approx. 38 × 29 cm (15 × 11.5 in)

• Image: approx. 30 × 27 cm (11.8 × 10.8 in)

Condition:
Excellent. Strong imprint, vivid original coloring, no defects. Verso blank.

MapandMaps.

  For the complete Map and Print collection see our online site.

MapandMaps Cartography of the World.

Always real antique maps - Always original - Never reproductions.

Europe buyers; we accept payment in Euro.