{"product_id":"plate-ii-in-the-atlas-designed-to-illustrate-burritt-s-geography-of-the-heavens-by-elijah-hinsdale-burritt","title":"Plate II in the Atlas Designed to Illustrate Burritt’s Geography of the Heavens, by Elijah Hinsdale Burritt","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlate II\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAtlas Designed to Illustrate Burritt’s Geography of the Heavens\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e,\u003c\/em\u003e by Elijah Hinsdale Burritt\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC.1835\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHand Colored Engraving\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDominating this \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1835\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e hand-colored engraving (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Plate II\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) is a beautifully crowded composition of mythological beasts and allegorical figures, meticulously rendered for Elijah Hinsdale Burritt's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAtlas Designed to Illustrate the Geography of the Heavens\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e Artistically, the print balances the fine, crisp line work of New York engraver \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eW. G. Evans\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with soft, translucent watercolor washes that bring a striking vitality to the late-autumn and winter skies. The visual focal points include the massive, green-scaled form of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCetus (The Whale)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e rising from the lower left, the dramatic chained figure of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAndromeda\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and the majestic winged silhouette of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePegasus (The Flying Horse)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Every figure is delicately shaded to create a sense of dimension against the flat coordinate grid, while the contrasting reds, greens, and pinks immediately draw the eye across the celestial canvas, serving as both a scientific tool and a masterpiece of early American decorative art.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirst issued in Hartford in 1833, Burritt’s atlas was created as a highly accessible educational tool to accompany his textbook, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Geography of the Heavens\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Elijah Hinsdale Burritt (1794–1838) was an American mathematician and astronomer nicknamed the \"Blacksmith Astronomer\" due to his early mechanical apprenticeship. He structured these specific charts based heavily on the artistic layout style of the 17th-century French Jesuit scientist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIgnace-Gaston Pardies\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, heavily modernizing the coordinate scales for contemporary classroom use. This chart is incredibly important to cartographic history because it represents the first major, mass-produced celestial atlas created specifically for American schools. Prior to Burritt's publication, astronomy instruction relied heavily on foreign imports; his work democratized stargazing for hundreds of thousands of students and laid the foundation for popular astronomy education in the United States. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH 16” X 14” W\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: tears on side, toned with age, silver paint splatter and tape on back\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54190218838295,"sku":"PR212-7","price":219.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0668\/3607\/0679\/files\/PR0212-7.1.jpg?v=1784577205","url":"https:\/\/antonioraimogallery.com\/products\/plate-ii-in-the-atlas-designed-to-illustrate-burritt-s-geography-of-the-heavens-by-elijah-hinsdale-burritt","provider":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","version":"1.0","type":"link"}