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In this frontispiece to the posthumous edition of Galileo Galilei's works, he presents a telescope to the three muses of Astronomy, Geometry, and Optics. Galileo was among the first to aim the instrument at the celestial realm, thus drawing to a close the era of open-sighted stargazing. In August 1609, Galileo demonstrated his telescope with a ninefold magnification in front of the Venetian Senate. This print restages the episode in allegorical terms, replacing Galileo's earthly patron with the symbols for the eternal light of truth.
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Stefano della Bella
Italian, 1610-1664
Galileo Galilei Kneeling before Astronomy, Geometry, and Optics (frontispiece for Opere di Galileo Galilei)
1656
Etching
Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation
2012.5
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