Astronomie 1539 - 1541

Georg Pencz’s engraving presents us with the allegorical figure of Astronomia, amidst the tools of her trade: a globe, a quadrant, and a pair of compasses. She points to the heavens as a cherubic figure assists her. The upward-pointing gesture is a potent symbol, recurring across epochs and cultures. We find it in depictions of prophets, saints, and enlightened beings, each time signifying a connection to higher knowledge. The index finger becomes a conduit, channeling divine insight. Remember Plato pointing upwards to the realm of Forms, just as Astronomia does here? Yet, the compass and globe offer a counterpoint. They represent humanity's desire to measure and map the cosmos, to bring celestial vastness down to earthly understanding. There is a powerful tension here, between seeking divine inspiration and empirical exploration, a duality that perhaps resides within each of us, a celestial homesickness.