Mankind has been looking at the night skies for thousands of years and have found it in both a source of curiosity and of enjoyment. Long before the technology was available to take the pictures we are familiar with today, artists and scientists have been drawing depictions of our universe ranging from the most accurate to the most absurd. Cosmigraphics, recenty published by Michael Benson, is a collection of such drawings
While some of those document natural occurrences such as galaxies or the transit of Venus, others are attempts at showing the strucure and layering of the universe – as it was perceived at the time. One of the most striking piece is the painting of the rings of Saturn by Maria Clara Einmart. The colors, the arrangement and the various shapes fit perfectly together in a way that can only be called beautiful.
Via Brainpickings