Plate 13:  La Vierge (Virgo) from the Atlas Celeste De Flamsteed, Approuve Par L'Academie Royale Des Sciences, Et Publie Sous Le Privledge De Cette Compagnie.

Jean Fortin after John Flamsteed

Published by A Paris F.G. Deschamps, Libraire, rue S. Jacques, aux Associes

Second edition, 1776.  Hand Colored copper engraving on laid paper

Image 182 x 226 mm Plate 203 x 250 mm Sheet 217 x 252 mm

Overall dimensions including custom frame:  16 x 17.75 inches

Jean Fortin was born in France. He was employed by the King and Royal family for producing spheres and globes. He produced two publications both updated and improved editions of Flamsteed's star atlas, "Atlas Coelestis" published in French in 1776 and 1795 named 'Atlas Celeste'. The plates were re-engraved to about a third of the size of Flamsteed's original plates.

John Flamsteed FRS (19 August 1646 – 31 December 1719) was English astronomer and was appointed the first Astronomer Royal at the London Observatory in 1675. He convinced Charles II to build the Observatory in Greenwich to aid British ships from getting lost due to the inaccuracy of star catalogues. Flamsteed started to compile a new star catalogue calculated from telescopic observations and this work continued until his death in 1719 this work is known as the British or Britannic Catalog and has been said to form the basis of the Atlas Coelesti. The Atlas Coelestis was published in 1725 by his widow after his death. Comprising of 27 double maps showing one of the finest examples of 'Europe's Golden Age of celestial cartography'.