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Astronomical Images : Terrestrial globe and celestial circles

Oronce Fine

Astronomical Images

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Oronce Fine (1494-1555) was a prolific author on mathematics, instruments and astronomy, among other things, and held, from 1531, the chair of mathematics at the newly established Collège Royal (known since 1870 as the Collège de France) in Paris. He is credited with the promotion of mathematics through his numerous publications and instruments. He also made and sold his own instruments, encouraged others to make their own by cutting out pages from his practical manuals, and worked as editor and overseer in printing houses. Fine published on a range of topics, and was interested in practical concerns as well as abstract debates, so while he is remembered for theoretical achievements, such as giving the value of pi correct to four significant figures, he also worked extensively with instruments and maps. While traditionally Fine's competence as a mathematician has been questioned, recent assessments have emphasised how he represented Renaissance mathematical culture, encompassing geometry, surveying, optics, cosmography, cartography, and astronomy. In cartography, Fine produced a cordiform, or heart-shaped, projection which was often used by later map-makers. The <i>Protomathesis</i> is Fine's magnum opus, published in 1532 in order to set out his contribution (present and future) for the advancement of mathematics in France. Comprised of four textbooks, the <i>Protomathesis</i> resembled a monumental epitome. Its content was relatively original and, above all, it adopted a new style in illustration and typographical design. Much of the material in this book formed the basis of Fine's abundant subsequent publications. The <i>Protomathesis</i> thus played an important role in establishing a Parisian tradition of mathematical textbooks. This image depicts the celestial circles, including the Arctic and Antarctic circles, the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, and the equinoctial circle. A meridian line is also depicted. Dispensing with auxiliary details traditionally used to depict the armillary sphere, such as a pedestal or handle, Fine offers a more geometrized representation of the celestial circles. Despite this, Fine makes explicit the relation of the circles to the physical World through the depiction of a terrestrial globe in the centre. This image, also depicted on the frontispiece to Part 3 of the <i>Protomathesis</i>, therefore suggests that Fine's astronomy was always implicitly related to geography.</p>


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