1661 Cellarius Celestial Map of Tycho Brahe's Solar System: Van Santen Color Heightened with Gold

An exemplar regium of Andreas Cellarius' 1661 celestial chart depicting the Solar system after the fascinating model of Tycho Brahe, embellished with astounding Dirk Jansz Van Santen color and gilt illumination.

A Closer Look

Cellarius' elegantly engraved celestial chart presents the Solar system on a planisphere, which depicts a spherical space upon a two-dimensional plane. The outer limits of the chart are claimed by the celestial sphere, displaying the signs of the Zodiac. Within are the spheres of the Sun, Moon, and Planets - with Earth at the center. The orbits of the Sun and Moon are centered on the Earth; all the other planets are shown in orbit around the Sun. This is the nature of Tycho Brahe's attempted reconciliation of the traditional Ptolemaic, geocentric Solar system and the modern Sun-centered model proposed by Copernicus. Tycho's compromise accepted the observed geometrical merits of Copernicus while preserving the geocentric model, which was more acceptable to the Church.

The work is a triumph of decorative engraving; the chart's title is suspended by putti upon banners in the upper corners, whilst in the lower corners scholars puzzle and argue over terrestrial and celestial globes, atlases, and charts, with students at their feet. At the lower right, seated and elegantly dressed, is Tycho himself. The scholar's famous prosthetic nose is not apparent here. However, he is portrayed here - as he often was - holding a glove, which was an allusion to the duel with fellow mathematician Manderup Parsberg which resulted in the loss of part of his nose.

The tumbledown towers in the background represented Tycho's observatory on the island of Hven off Copenhagen and Elsinore in the background.

The color work on this celestial map is beyond spectacular, the finest we have seen anywhere in more than 25 years in the trade. The work is almost certainly that of master colorist (Meester Afsetter) Dirk Jansz Van Santen, the premier colorist of the Dutch Golden Age. Van Santen's work can be identified here through the lavish use of gold highlighting, rich and distinctive color palette, complex graduation of the sky, and extraneous colorization that goes beyond the engraving itself to bring life to the figures represented. (Please see our 'Identifying Van Santen Chart,' image 5.)

The Brilliance of Van Santen: Gold, Color, and Unmatched Craft

The colorwork on this map, based on its date of production, stylistic features, and color use, is with little doubt the work of Dirk Jansz Van Santen (1637/38 - May 23, 1708).

No colorist of the Dutch Golden Age matched Van Santen's flair, boldness, and artistic sophistication. His maps are unmistakable: lavishly gilded, vividly colored, and alive with dynamic contrasts - incomparable for sheer visual impact, rarity, and sophistication.

Van Santen's liberal use of gold highlighting stands out. Where contemporaneous colorists reserved expensive gilding for minor flourishes, he applied it throughout: dotting city names, outlining frontiers, embellishing legends, and even weaving it into the texture of vignettes. His gold accents were frequently set against costly pigments like ultramarine and carmine, creating a luxurious interplay of color and light.

Van Santen employed a unique color palette of personally compounded pigments, crafting hues that were unique in tone and depth. His ability to layer and juxtapose color gave his works an almost impressionistic feel far ahead of their time. Spaces that would have remained blank or subdued in other hands were transformed: skies glowed in soft gradients from purple to blue to pink to yellow; seas shimmered; human and animal figures were brought to life with subtle tonal shifts.

Unlike his contemporaries, Van Santen avoided monotony at all costs. He turned every inch of the map into an opportunity for artistic expression. Even the framing borders - often overlooked - became showcases of tuned chromatics. Today, scholars Fontaine Verwey, W. K Gnirrep, and Truusje Goedings have created catalogs of Van Santen's works in major institutions. From time to time, rare maps with Van Santen color appear on the market, often quadrupling or more a map's value and marking it as an exemplar.

Publication History and Census

This engraving was executed, possibly by Johannes van Loon, for Jan Jansson, who in 1660 first published Cellarius' Harmonia Macrocosmica. Jansson produced two editions in 1660 and 1661; these are distinguishable by the plate numbers engraved for the 1661 edition - as in the present example, indicating the 1661 second state. Amsterdam publishers Gerard Valk and Pieter Schenk later acquired the plates and republished Cellarius' work in 1708, adding their own imprint and privilege. Separate examples of Cellarius' charts appear on the market from time to time. We see three examples of this plate listed in OCLC, all dated 1660, but also noting the plate number signifying this second, 1661 state; two examples of the 1708 Valk and Schenk restrike are also noted. The plate has come on the market occasionally, but an example with Van Santen color represents a once-in-a-collector's-lifetime opportunity.