Uranometria, Leaf 49 — Southern Constellations (1603)

Highlights

• Bayer-1661-Uranometria-Leaf 49-Southern Constellations — a faithful reproduction of an antique celestial star chart.
• CHOOSE YOUR SIZE & FORMAT: Pick your dimensions and shape right from this listing — vertical, horizontal, panoramic and square options available.
• MUSEUM-QUALITY GICLEE: Fade-resistant archival inks on premium artist-grade canvas, hand-stretched and gallery-wrapped over a solid 1.5" wood frame, hardware attached and ready to hang.
• A REFINED FOCAL POINT for the living room, bedroom, study, home office or entryway — timeless style with lasting appeal.
• HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA: Made to order in multiple sizes and shapes — a thoughtful, gallery-worthy gift.

Description

This engraved plate from Johann Bayer's landmark star atlas Uranometria (first published in Augsburg, 1603) depicts the southern celestial hemisphere, populating the sky with elaborately drawn constellation figures — including a peacock, a bird of paradise, and a fish — alongside plotted stars connected by fine lines and annotated with Latin labels. The Milky Way's dense star-field sweeps diagonally across the right side of the composition, rendered in stippled dotwork, while navigational grid lines radiate from the center. Uranometria was the first major printed star atlas to cover the entire celestial sphere and introduced many southern constellations to European astronomy, making this leaf a historically significant document of early-modern cartography and astronomical illustration.