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Engraved on laid paper, 480x390 mm sheet size. A superb, highly decorative group of celestial charts, covering the entire night sky. We can date the present charts from the constellations they depict to after 1687 (Hevelius, Uranographia). Pardies' star chart series, first published in 1674. "Pardies' star atlas is stylistically one of the most attractive ever published. Pardies took his constellation figures primarily from Bayer's Uranometria, but since each chart covers a large section of the sky, these figures had to be carefully integrated, which was not an easy task." -- Linda Hall Library. Cf, Rumsey 6900. "Pardies, a clever French mathematician and astronomer, constructed a number of celestial schemes and maps of the heavens, which were published in 1673, usually dated 1674-5. Pardies carefully represented all the constellations with the stars they contain; These were apparently posthumous publications. 'Globi Coelestis in tabula plana redacta descriptio, 1675, folio, an important work by this author, was published after his death . His maps seem to have been little known outside France, and not generally used by astronomers. The 'Globicoelestis' consisted of six double-page maps, with notes at the sides to indicate the positions of the stars. There were three editions; all are very rare . The rare maps of Pardies are distinguished by the distinctness with which the individual stars are shown, and the masterly imaginative representation of the constellation figures a high standard of artistic ability" (Brown). According to the accompanying text, positions of the 1,481 stars shown on the six maps were derived from various globes and from the catalogs of Riccioli, Bayer, and Kepler. The paths of various comets visible from 1577 to 1672 are also indicated (Warner). Pardies (1636-1673), who taught at La Rochelle, Bordeaux, and the Collage Clermont in Paris, is known for his contributions in horology and physics though most of his work remains in manuscript. His star atlas was published after his death by his colleague Jean de Fontenay (the dedication is signed "J. de F. S. J." [Jean de Fontenay, of the Society of Jesus]). The constellation figures are based on those of Bayer but the engraver Vallet had to combine them from the separate plates in that source and the result is a series of masterful compositions. The author also includes the paths of historically important comets (1577, 1607, 1619 and 1664-1665). The accompanying text states that the positions of the 1,481 stars shown were derived from various globes and the catalogues of Riccioli, Bayer and Kepler.
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