Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology
Details from Miscellany: Descriptions of Planets, Zodiacs, and Comets, shortly after 1464, German. Watercolor and ink on paper. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XII 8 (83.MO.137)
Medieval Europeans believed that the movements of the sun, moon, stars, and planets directly affected their lives on earth. The position of these celestial bodies had the power to not only influence individual personalities, but also created the seasonal conditions ideal for a variety of tasks from planting crops to bloodletting. Exploring the 12 signs of the zodiac still familiar to us today, this exhibition reveals the mysteries of medieval astrology as it intersected with medicine, divination, and daily life in the Middle Ages.
This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.
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About PST ART
Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART, returns in September 2024, presenting over 70 exhibitions from organizations across the region exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art.
Selected Works
The Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, from Northumberland Bestiary
About 1250–60, English. Pen-and-ink drawings tinted with body color and translucent washes on parchment. Getty Museum, Ms.100 (2007.16), fol. 2v
Zodiac Skeleton, from Book of Hours
1508, French. Woodcut. Getty Research Institute, 85-B20755, p.7
May, from Psalter
About 1250-75, Swiss. Tempera colors and gold leaf on parchment. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig VIII 3 (83.MK.94), fol. 3v
July, from Miscellany: Descriptions of Planets, Zodiacs, and Comets
Shortly after 1464, German. Watercolor and ink on paper. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XII 8 (83.MO.137), fol. 52v
Constellation Diagram for Leo, from Poeticon astronomicon
1485, C. Julius Hyginus. Woodcut. Getty Research Institute, 84-B28210, c3
October; Sowing, from Book of Hours
About 1440–50, Workshop of the Bedford Master. Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink on parchment. Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig IX 6 (83.ML.102), fol. 10
Publications
Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts
Exhibition Resources
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