Cosmgrarhy & Astrology - R. Blome 1686

📜 Description
Allegorical and scientific engraved plate depicting a complex composition dedicated to cosmography and astrology, published in London in 1686 within The Gentleman’s Recreation by Richard Blome. The image presents a symbolic and didactic structure centered on the relationship between cosmography, astrology, natural elements, planets, zodiac signs, and cosmological principles, according to a compositional framework consistent with late 17th-century English encyclopedic culture. The composition develops around a central branching diagram linking terrestrial and celestial phenomena, surrounded by scientific instruments, allegorical female figures, astronomical schemes, astrological symbols, and geographical references. The engraved line, precise and analytical, provides an ordered and highly educational reading of the image, balancing informative function with decorative refinement. A representative example of English scientific and encyclopedic illustration of the period, the plate stands as a significant testimony to the dissemination of cosmographical and astrological knowledge in 17th-century Europe.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Richard Blome ranks among the leading English authors and publishers active during the second half of the 17th century, distinguished for works devoted to geography, sciences, applied arts, and educational subjects intended for a cultivated audience. The work belongs to The Gentleman’s Recreation, a celebrated encyclopedic collection conceived as an illustrated compendium of practical and scientific knowledge of the age. Plates of this type testify to the growing interest in the systematization of astronomical, cosmographical, and astrological knowledge within late Baroque European culture, in a context where science, symbolism, and learned tradition still closely coexisted.

🧾 Technical Details
Title: Cosmography & Astrology
Type: Allegorical-scientific plate
Author: Richard Blome
Engraver: not indicated
Publisher: S. Roycroft
Place: London
Date: 1686
Material: Paper
Technique: Copperplate etching with contemporary hand coloring
Decoration: Allegorical composition with astronomical instruments, astrological symbols, and cosmographical diagrams
Dimensions:
Sheet: 25.5 × 39 cm
Engraved area: 23 × 37 cm
Marks / signatures / inscriptions: engraved title at top “Cosmography & Astrology”
Notes: from The Gentleman’s Recreation

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in good overall condition. Small hole present at the center of the sheet. Professional restoration along the right margin. Engraved surface well preserved and clearly legible, with well-maintained contemporary coloring. Blank verso.