This marvelous engraving is an early view of the moon graphically depicting its craters based on the observations of Kircher and Christoph Scheiner in 1636 and 1650. Putti in a cloud background hold aloft the banner-style title cartouche. Kircher's masterpiece, titled Mundus Subterraneus (The Underground World), was the first serious effort to describe the physical makeup of the earth, proposing theories (sometimes fantastic) in the areas of physics, geography, geology, and chemistry.

References: De Vorsey (Mercator's World) Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 28-31.

Condition: B+

A nice impression with light toning and a few spots of foxing. A short centerfold separation confined to the right blank margin has been closed on verso with archival tissue.