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A fine and visually engaging comparative engraving by Jean Janvier, illustrating four distinct models of the cosmos and the Earth, rendered with Enlightenment-era clarity and baroque elegance. This image exemplifies the transitional moment in cosmography, where classical, Ptolemaic traditions coexisted visually and intellectually alongside the heliocentric revolution and scientific advances in terrestrial and celestial cartography.
From left to right:
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Sphère de Copernic: A heliocentric armillary sphere based on Copernican astronomy, with the Sun at the center and the planets—including Earth—orbiting in concentric rings. The diagram reflects the revolutionary model first widely published in Copernicus’s De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543), which had only become widely accepted among astronomers by the 18th century.
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Sphère de Ptolémée: The geocentric model of the cosmos, as proposed by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE. Earth occupies the central position, encircled by epicycles and deferents representing the orbits of celestial bodies, including the zodiac and the outer firmament of fixed stars.
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Globe Terrestre: A terrestrial globe marked with geographic features of the Eastern Hemisphere, showing place names, mountain ranges, and key parallels and meridians. This is typical of Enlightenment globemaking, reflecting both scientific precision and decorative flair.
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Globe Celeste: A celestial globe displaying constellations and mythological figures, rendered with artistic imagination and astronomical labeling. Constellations such as Ursa Major, Leo, and Virgo are clearly visible, along with their associated imagery.
Each globe rests on a pedestal adorned with a ram’s head and floral garlands, combining classical ornamentation with the clarity of Enlightenment visual taxonomy. The engraving functioned as both an educational tool and a celebration of the triumph of reason over tradition, typical of mid-18th-century scientific publishing.
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