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Mathematical Treasure: Andreas Cellarius’s Harmonia Macrocosmica

Author(s): 
Amy Ackerberg-Hastings (MAA Convergence)

Andreas Cellarius (ca 1596–1665) was born in the German lands but taught school in Amsterdam by 1625. From 1637 to his death, he directed a school in Hoorn, North Holland and wrote at least three books on military fortification, the geography of Poland, and cosmography. The final book, Harmonia Macrocosmica, seu Atlas Universalis Et Novus: Totius Universi Creati Cosmographiam Generalem, Et Novam Exhibens (The macrocosmic harmony, or universal and new Atlas, presenting a general and new cosmography of the entire created universe. Discussing the harmonious construction of all the worlds of the whole world, according to different authors), examined the systems posited by several well-known and obscure figures. It was published in 1660, but most surviving copies were printed in 1661. The 29 engravings in many of those volumes were colored by hand, resulting in diagrams that remain popular with readers and textbook authors.

The frontispiece suggests the gorgeous images that are to follow, with its depiction of Tycho Brahe (seated), Ptolemy, an unknown figure, Urania (seated), King Alfonso el Sabio, Philips Lansbergen (who wrote an earlier work on cosmology that Cellarius used as a model), and Nicolaus Copernicus (seated).

Frontispiece from Andreas Cellarius's 1661 Harmonia Macrocosmica.

The title page and dedication to Charles II (1630–1685), who had just become King of England and Ireland as well as King of Scotland in the Restoration of 1660, are shown below.

Title page from Andreas Cellarius's 1661 Harmonia Macrocosmica.

Dedication to Charles II from Andreas Cellarius's 1661 Harmonia Macrocosmica.

The system of Ptolemy:

The Ptolemaic system as depicted in Andreas Cellarius's 1661 Harmonia Macrocosmica.

The system of Copernicus:

The Copernican system as depicted in Andreas Cellarius's 1661 Harmonia Macrocosmica.

The system of Brahe:

Brahe's system as depicted in Andreas Cellarius's 1661 Harmonia Macrocosmica.

These images from the copy owned by Heidelberg University Library are in the public domain. A full digitization is available.

Further Reading

Ashworth, William B. 2021, 25 October. Scientist of the Day: Andreas Cellarius. Linda Hall Library. LHL’s copy is also digitized.

Gabe. 2023, 16 September. Charting the Stars: An In-Depth Exploration of Harmonia Macrocosmica and its 29 Plates. Terra Explora.

Shire, William. 2020, 4 February. Magdalen’s Celestial Atlas from the Dutch Golden Age – The Harmonia Macrocosmica. Magdalen College, University of Oxford.

van Gent, Robert H. 2024, January. Andreas Cellarius (c. 1596 – 1665): A Bio-Bibliography. Department of Mathematics, Utrecht University.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Amy Ackerberg-Hastings (MAA Convergence), "Mathematical Treasure: Andreas Cellarius’s Harmonia Macrocosmica," Convergence (August 2024)