Notebook Reliefs - The Beauty of the Heavens

This notebook features images from *La Beauté des cieux*, a book of over 300 pages published in 1840, written and illustrated by Charles F. Blunt (1776–18..). A comprehensive introduction to astronomy, this book is presented as a family lesson “that can be read aloud”: “Introduction to the Sky,” “The Moon,” “The Sun,” “The Planets,” “The Stars and Constellations,” “Celestial Phenomena.” The preface states that “particular care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the pictorial and scientific sections.” These spectacular illustrations—most of which were originally intended for the magic lantern—carefully printed (hand-finished aquatint prints), had a profound impact on 19th-century astronomical representations.