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

This hand-coloured aquatint of the zodiac constellation Leo is taken from The Beauty of the Heavens: A Pictorial Display of The Astronomical Phenomena of The Universe (1849), created by astronomer and lecturer Charles Blunt. The print presents the majestic lion of the zodiac outlined against a black sky, filled with gold-accented stars. In mid-19th century England, as home education gained popularity, Blunt addressed the growing demand for accessible yet accurate scientific illustrations by producing a series of detailed celestial and astrological plates. These prints were based on his original drawings and published by Whitehead & Ackermann in London.