Athanasius Kircher : "Systema Ideale...Aquarum" (c.1668)

Description: "Systema Ideale quo Exprimitur, Aquarum," by Athanasius Kircher (c. 1668) Available Formats • 9" x 12" (Image: 7.5" x 8.5") • 12" x 16" (Image: 10" x 11.25") • 16" x 20" (Image: 13" x 14.63") • 20" x 24" (Image: 16" x 18") • 24" x 30" (Image: 19" x 21.5") Archival Inkjet on Matte Finish Fine Art Paper About the Artwork Athanasius Kircher was a Jesuit scholar and polymath who dedicated himself to the systematization of all human knowledge. He became interested in the subterranean world during his 1637 trip to Malta, where he explored the island’s inland seas, geological formations and underground passageways. The following year, a massive earthquake struck while he was crossing the Straits of Messina. From aboard ship, he observed the boiling sea, the formation of vast whirlpools and pillars of smoke billowing from Mount Stromboli. His desire for firsthand knowledge of the processes unfolding beneath the earth’s surface led him to investigate the interior of Mount Vesuvius, where he encountered a trembling gulph of sulfurous gas and spewing lava. In 1665, he published Mundus Subterraneus, an expansive cosmography of natural phenomena that treated of everything from the spontaneous generation of insects to the geography of Atlantis. In this work, he proposed that fire and water circulated through vast underground networks, the whole earth being “not solid but everywhere gaping, and hollowed with empty rooms and spaces, and hidden burrows.” Systema Ideale quo Exprimitur, Aquarum is a cross-section of the earth’s hydrosystem. Where water drains into the subterranean network, whirlpools form. Where proximity to fire pushes water to the surface, springs and hot baths are produced. A central fire keeps the water circulating, preventing the seas from becoming frozen or stagnant, while the water, in turn, stirs up the subterraneous fire (in a fashion of a bellows) and keeps the earth from becoming engulfed in flame. The corresponding volcanic system is shown in a companion map, Systema Ideale Pyrophylaciorum Suberraneorum. Fine Art Quality The Ibis’s giclée process uses archival pigment inks on 100% cotton rag paper to achieve crisp detail and rich, lasting color. Unlike posters, they will not yellow with time, but will maintain their original quality for as long as you own them. Happiness Guarantee All of The Ibis's prints come with a 100% happiness guarantee. If you are disappointed in your purchase for any reason, you are welcome to return it for a full refund.

Price: 23.99 USD

Location: Endicott, New York

End Time: 2025-01-26T18:01:42.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD