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September 10, 2025Open Access

Struggling with pictures in the early Académie royale des sciences: The case of Giovanni Domenico Cassini’s Grand Selenography (1679)

Key Points

The Grand Selenography is a significant astronomical work that has been largely overlooked by historians.
Cassini's meticulous print of the moon's surface reflects the challenges of representing scientific knowledge artistically.
The study examines the historical context and implications of scientific illustrations during the 17th century.
Cassini and his contemporaries found the Grand Selenography uncompleted, raising questions about artistic expectations in science.

Abstract

Argument In 1679, the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini published a large print detailing the entire visible surface of the moon with unprecedented meticulousness. This Grand Selenography is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular pictures ever produced within the Académie royale des sciences. However, it has remained widely neglected by historians up to now. This study offers the first account of the making and early reception of the print. It argues that the Grand Selenography remains uncompleted because it failed to satisfy Cassini and his contemporaries. Furthermore, its history allows us to shed new light on the range of issues that scientific pictures might have raised during Louis XIV’s reign.

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