Our Satellite. A Selenography According to The Present State of Science

1862

Dr. A. Le Vengeur d'Orsan

Associated Names
Dr. A. Le Vengeur d'Orsan

Artist, French, 1800 - 1899

The image shows a close-up view of the lunar surface near the Tycho crater in the southeastern part of the moon, filled with craters and textured terrain. The focus is on detailing the craters and topographical features with precision, emphasizing the transition between shadow and light. The color palette is primarily muted with tones of beige and dark gray, contrasting the illuminated and shadowed areas. The background features a softer, grayscale depiction, adding depth to the composition. The text on the image refers to the focus on the lunar disc and its geographic details.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    folio with 8 albumen silver prints, 1 lithograph, and text

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon

  • Dimensions

    overall: 43.18 × 33.02 cm (17 × 13 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2018.177.14

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Randy Liebermann, Washington, DC; Mary and Dan Solomon, Monarch Beach, CA; gift to NGA, 2018.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2019

  • By the Light of the Silvery Moon: A Century of Lunar Photographs, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2019 - 2020, unnumbered catalogue.

Inscriptions

upper left printed in black ink on cover of folio: PART 1.; upper right: AUGUST 1862.; CENTER: OUR / SATELLITE. / A. / SELENOGRAPHY ACCORDING / TO THE PRESENT STATE / OF SCIENCE. / BY DR. A. LE VENGEUR D'ORSAN; lower left: FLAMSTEED. / HALLEY. / BRADLEY. / BLISS. / MASKELYNE. / POND. / AIRY.; lower center: LONDON. / A.W. BENNETT, / 5. BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT.; lower right: HEVELIUS. / MAYER. / LAPLACE. / SCHROTER. / ROMER. / LOHRMANN. / MADLER.; by unknown hand, bottom left in black ink: Miscellaneous / astronomy / z.1; bottom left: 2B8; bottom left stamped in blue ink on applied sticker: 8