Night and Day, 1846

Isaac Frost belonged to the Muggletonians, a small English religious sect founded in the seventeenth century. In 1846 he published Two Systems of Astronomy, comparing the Copernican model accepted by science with the geocentric universe supported by his faith.

Rather than rejecting astronomy, Frost sought to reinterpret it. His charts combine careful observation, biblical cosmology and remarkable visual craftsmanship, offering a unique glimpse into a period when scientific and religious ideas could still coexist in unexpected ways.

The illustrations were printed using George Baxter’s pioneering colour-printing process, which layered engraved plates with oil-based inks to produce subtle colours and luminous tones unlike those of traditional hand colouring. Because the process was expensive and technically demanding, surviving original prints are exceptionally rare.

Today these charts are valued not for their scientific accuracy, but for what they reveal about the history of ideas, printing and visual culture.

This chart is beautifully wrong.

Its view of the universe has been replaced, yet the care, craftsmanship and curiosity behind it remain deeply compelling. To me, that makes it just as worthy of preserving as the illustrations that got everything right.

This image has been carefully prepared for fine art printing.

Dust, stains, scanning artifacts, and tonal inconsistencies are corrected by hand where needed. The file is then checked for sharpness, tonal range, and print quality.

The goal is not to redesign the original, but to preserve its character while making it suitable for contemporary printing.

Printed on Hahnemühle 308 gsm museum-quality fine art paper with a matte finish, or available as a premium 400 gsm canvas mounted in a handcrafted wooden float frame.

Paper prints are shipped unframed and wrapped in acid-free tissue paper.