ARTIST: Thomas Gibson
PUBLISHER: Published in Atlas Coelestis, London, 1729
MEDIUM: Engraving,
DATE: 1721
EDITION SIZE: Image size 12 7/8 x 8 3/4" (32.7 x 22.5 cm) plus margins
DESCRIPTION: This finely detailed 1721 engraving by George Vertue, based on a 1712 portrait by Thomas Gibson, depicts John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, seated with his left hand resting on his chest, dressed in clerical robes. The portrait, set within an oval frame, served as the frontispiece for Flamsteed’s Atlas Coelestis, a posthumously published star atlas based on his life's work at the Royal Observatory. The Latin inscription beneath reads, "Johannes Flamsteedius Derbiensis/ Astronomiae Professor Regius. Anno Aetatis 74 Obijt Decem: 31 1719" ("John Flamsteed of Derby, the King's Professor of Astronomy. He died in his 74th year on 31 December 1719"). <br><br> Flamsteed (1646–1719) was an English astronomer whose groundbreaking observations transformed celestial mapping and navigation. Born in Derbyshire, he displayed an early passion for mathematics and astronomy, eventually earning his appointment by King Charles II as Astronomer Royal in 1675. Over four decades at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, Flamsteed created a comprehensive star catalogue and celestial maps that surpassed previous works in accuracy and detail. His meticulous approach occasionally led to disputes with contemporaries such as Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley, but his posthumously published Catalogus Britannicus and Atlas Coelestis cemented his enduring legacy. Flamsteed’s contributions are honored through star nomenclature, astronomical societies, and memorials in Derbyshire and beyond.
ADDITIONAL INFO: This piece is in a 13 x 19 inch archival mylar for handling.
CONDITION: Overall in good condition, with scattered foxing and minor staining, primarily in the margins outside the plate mark.
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