43 Charles Blunt (active 1830s–1840s) – The Planet Jupiter – Hand-Coloured Aquatint from The Beauty of the Heavens (1849)

This original 1849 hand-coloured aquatint depicts the planet Jupiter surrounded by its four largest moons, based on observations made through early 19th-century telescopes. The dramatic contrast of golden yellow against the deep black background evokes the celestial grandeur and scientific curiosity of the era. The print belongs to The Beauty of the Heavens: A Pictorial Display of The Astronomical Phenomena of The Universe, a remarkable educational series authored and illustrated by Charles Blunt. Aimed at popularizing astronomy for a broader audience, especially through home education, the series was published by Whitehead & Ackermann in London and became one of the most visually distinctive astronomical works of its time.