Atlas Supports The Heavens On His Shoulders

48.5 x 32 cm (19.1 x 12.6 inches).
Atlas Supports The Heavens On His Shoulders
This spectacular baroque engraving is from Bernard Picart's Le Temple Des Muses.
The engraving was made in 1733, is from the first edition and is an original antique. It has captions in French, English, German, and Dutch.
It is in very good condition for its age.
In Greek mythology, Atlas is a Titan. Zeus condemned him to hold up the heavens for eternity after the Battle of the Titans. The myth gave rise to words we use today. The Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa are named after him. "Atlas" has been used to describe a collection of maps since the 16th century. The "Atlantic Ocean" means "Sea of Atlas". Atlantis means "Atlas's Island."