Snapshots of the Past

The anatomy of man's body, as governed by the twelve constellations – Antique Print

The anatomy of man's body, as governed by the twelve constellations, [published 1750(?)] — antique engraving
The anatomy of man's body, as governed by the twelve constellations, [published 1750(?)]. Antique engraving from the Presidents collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Few images capture their era like this antique engraving of The anatomy of man's body, as governed by the twelve constellations. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

Order it framed and ready to hang, or unframed to match a frame you already love. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

The anatomy of man's body, as governed by the twelve constellations

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

A woodcut man, with each zodiac sign set over the part of the body it was believed to govern, sets this print apart from the calendar and weather notes that filled most almanac pages. Such zodiacal man diagrams have roots in European medical astrology, where physicians timed bloodletting and treatments by the position of the moon and signs. Benjamin Franklin's *Poor Richard's Almanack*, printed in Philadelphia, carried these figures to colonial readers who relied on them for health as well as planting. The print was later reproduced in *Eyes of the Nation*, a 1997 survey of American visual history prepared with Library of Congress curators.

Created / published[published 1750(?)]
Medium1 print : woodcut with letterpress.
GenrePeriodical illustrations 1750.Wood engravings 1750.
NotesIllus. in: Poor Richard's Almanack / Benjamin Franklin, 1750(?). Published in: Eyes of the nation : a visual history of the United States / Vincent Virga and curators of the Library of Congress ; historical commentary by Alan Brinkley. New York : Knopf, 1997.
SubjectsZodiac--1750. Anatomy--1750.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,144 × 1,435 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-219110

More from the Presidents collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

Bronze statue of a man working a printing pressBronze statue of a man working a printing pressThe art of making money plenty in every man's pocket; by Doctor [Benjamin] FranklinThe art of making money plenty in every man's pocket; by Doctor [Benjamin] FrankBenjamin Franklin as a young man, seated at desk in printing shopBenjamin Franklin as a young man, seated at desk in printing shopStudio portrait of a man in pinstripe suit and pince-nezStudio portrait of a man in pinstripe suit and pince-nez[Franklin D. Roosevelt riding in a convertible with son James and an unidentified man during Roosevelt's visit to Rochester, N.Y., to begin his presidential campaign][Franklin D. Roosevelt riding in a convertible with son James and an unidentifie[Franklin D. Roosevelt, three-quarter length portrait, standing between Eleanor Roosevelt and an unidentified man, facing slightly left][Franklin D. Roosevelt, three-quarter length portrait, standing between Eleanor