HUYGENS, Christian (1629-1695)

Lot 106
09.07.2025 10:30UTC +01:00
Classic
Vendu
£ 6 300
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Lieu de l'événementRoyaume-Uni, London
Commissionsee on Website%
Archive
La vente aux enchères est terminée. Vous ne pouvez plus enchérir.
Archive
ID 1449864
Lot 106 | HUYGENS, Christian (1629-1695)
Valeur estimée
£ 5 000 – 7 000
HUYGENS, Christian (1629-1695)
Cosmotheros, sive de terris coelestibus. The Hague: Adrian Moetjens, 1698
First edition of Huygens’ posthumously published final work, in which he uses the Copernican theory of the universe as a basis for the possibility of extra-terrestrial life, comparable to man. 'Huygens did not believe that complete certainty could be achieved in the study of nature, but thought that the philosopher must pursue the highest degree of probability in his theories ... Huygens' reasoning [in Cosmotheros] is that it is in the creation of life and living beings that the wisdom and providence of God are most manifest. In the Copernican world system ... the earth holds no privileged position among the other planets. It would therefore be unreasonable to suppose that life should be restricted to earth alone' (DSB). Concluding that the plant and animal worlds of other planets would be much like ours, he also surmised that the inhabitants would have a culture similar to man's and would cultivate the sciences. The second part treats movements of the heavenly bodies and how they must appear to the inhabitants of the planets, as well as mentioning new advances in astronomy. 'In contrast to most other Huygensian writings, Cosmotheros has had wide appeal, and has been translated into several languages'. Wellcome lists only the second edition.

Quarto (193 x 148mm). Woodcut title vignette, head- and tailpieces, initials, 6 engraved folding plates, numbered 1-5 with plate 4 repeated (A1 creased, small stain just touching the engraving and fore-edge of the first two folding plates, single wormtrack by the fore-edge evident in the last four, tiny loss at bottom margin of plate two, instances of faint damp-staining mainly confined to margins ). Later calf (stained and rubbed, a couple of wormholes, leather at top and base of spine a little split). Provenance: ?18th-century calculations in ink on the upper endleaf along with a shelfmark ‘R.6504’; ‘Hus’ added in scratchy black in to verso of title; Petr Vopěnka (1935-2015, Czech mathematician).
Adresse de l'enchère CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
Royaume-Uni
Aperçu
09.07.2025 – 09.07.2025
Téléphone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
E-mail
Commission see on Website
Conditions d'utilisationConditions d'utilisation

Termes connexes

× Créer un abonnement de recherche