The Moon in its Final Quarter
This modern-looking engraving is one of three remarkable prints by Mellan that depict the phases of the moon after sketches he made in Aix-en-Provence in early 1636. Mellan drew what he observed through a telescope, a Dutch invention from about 1608. The engravings were commissioned by Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a French humanist, and Pierre Gassendi, a theologian with a passionate interest in astronomy. Mellan completed the prints upon his return to Paris in May 1637. Peiresc, who died in June of that year, never saw the finished works.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Moon in its Final Quarter
- Series/Portfolio: Three representations of the moon
- Artist: Claude Mellan (French, Abbeville 1598–1688 Paris)
- Date: 1635
- Medium: Engraving; first state of two
- Dimensions: Plate: 9 1/8 × 5 3/8 in. (23.1 × 13.7 cm)
Sheet: 9 3/16 × 5 1/2 in. (23.4 × 14 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1960
- Object Number: 60.634.37
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.