Sacred Physics by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer,
original copper-engraved prints,
£140 each
In stock
Johann Jakob Scheuchzer was a Swiss naturalist and professor of mathematics working in the early 18th century; a time when it was customary to regard the Old Testament as a perfectly accurate description of the history of the earth. Trained as a physician, Scheuchzer travelled extensively and put together one of the largest fossil collections in early 18th-century Europe. He described many of the fossil plants he collected in 1709 in Herbarium of the Deluge and believed the plants had all perished in the biblical flood. In 1731, he published his masterwork: Physica Sacra, a detailed explication of events in the Bible in terms of physics, medicine, and natural history. The work is so profusely illustrated with copper-plate engravings that it became known as the copper-plate bible. Each illustration references a specific book, chapter and verse of the 1611 edition of the King James Bible. Scheuchzer’s recognition that fossils were the remains of sea animals and that the biblical time frame needed extension was a step on the way to Lyell and Darwin.
Recently Viewed Items
-
There is Not a Cross Word from our Customers,
£195There is Not a Cross Word from our Customers,
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries this type of poster was a ubiquitous feature of every corner shop, café and public house. Printed with wood block type onto poor quality newsprint paper they were a transient form of advertising designed to be used then discarded, so hardly any originals exist. These reproductions are based on some surviving originals printed by London firm of Samuel Reeves Ltd, which have been scanned, restored and reprinted onto fine art paper using archival quality ink. Framed£195 -
Early British natural history copper engravings – Marsh Titmouse, A Wren, Crested Titmouse, Blue Titmouse, Indian Sparrow, Long-Tailed Titmouse,
£220 eachEarly British natural history copper engravings – Marsh Titmouse, A Wren, Crested Titmouse, Blue Titmouse, Indian Sparrow, Long-Tailed Titmouse,
Francis Barlow (c. 1626 – 1704) was an English painter, etcher, and illustrator.£220 each -
Picasso, lithographs from 1930
£195Picasso, lithographs from 1930
Produced for 'Editions des Chroniques du Jour' an important early work on Picasso.£195 -
Horoscope Prints Based on the Work by John Flamsteed, Le Belier,
£180 eachHoroscope Prints Based on the Work by John Flamsteed, Le Belier,
John Flamsteed was born into a prosperous family but did not attend University due to poor health. Self taught, his extensive studies in astronomy resulted in his being appointed the first Astronomer Royal by King Charles II, with the Royal Observatory at Greenwich being built for him to continue his observations of the heavens. Flamsteed was the first astronomer to sight Uranus in 1690, naming it 34 Tauri, as he believed it to be a star. His Celestial Atlas was published ten years posthumously by his wife. It set the standard in professional astronomy for almost a century, with the positions of over 3,000 stars given more accurately than ever before.£180 each