Description
"Systema Ideale Pyrophylaciorum Suberraneorum," by Athanasius Kircher (1665) DIMENSIONS 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 Fine Art Paper Smooth Surface - Matte Finish - Inset Borders ABOUT THE ARTWORK Athanasius Kircher was a Jesuit scholar & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 & water circulated through vast underground networks, the whole earth being "not solid but everywhere gaping, & hollowed with empty rooms & spaces, & hidden burrows." "Systema Ideale Pyrophylaciorum Suberraneorum" is a cross-section of the earth's volcanic system. It is fed by a central fire that connects to the surface through a series of underground channels & fire-lakes. A companion map, "Systema Ideale quo Exprimitur, Aquarum," shows the corresponding hydrosystem, which both stirs up the subterraneous fire (in a fashion of a bellows) & keeps the earth from becoming engulfed in flame. ART-CENTRIC DESIGN - Vintage art is not standardized. The original works are usually too long, or too short, to neatly fill a store-bought frame. Most shops arbitrarily crop the artwork to match, leading to claustrophobic prints with missing or partial elements. These modifications sometimes trivial, sometimes ludicrous are not always shown in the product photos. We believe that the purpose of art is not to fill a frame; it is the purpose of a frame to showcase the art. Our prints have inset borders that make up any differences in proportion between the artwork & a standard frame, so that you can experience the art as the artist intended. They look sharp in beveled mats, may be float mounted, or inserted directly into standard frames; the borders providing a mat-like accent around the image. There are many styles from which to choose. Framing is a fun, creative process that enhances the artwork & livens your space for years to come. Should you like any advice, feel free to reach out. CUSTOMIZATION & IMAGE REQUESTS - We are happy to customize our prints to fit your frame. Borderless
