Stars of Multiple Colours, 1923

By the early twentieth century, astronomers had begun to understand that a star’s colour was far more than an aesthetic feature. It provided a direct clue to its temperature, composition and stage of evolution.

Hot blue stars can reach surface temperatures exceeding 30,000°C, while cooler red stars may be only a tenth as hot. Between these extremes lie white, yellow and orange stars, each representing different physical conditions and evolutionary stages. Our own Sun, for example, is a yellow star of intermediate temperature.

Illustrations like this helped communicate these discoveries to a wider audience at a time when astronomy was becoming increasingly visual. Published in Le Ciel in 1923, it combines scientific accuracy with the refined graphic style that characterises the work of Lucien Rudaux, one of the great astronomical illustrators of the twentieth century.

I like images that permanently change the way I look at the world.

After spending time with this one, I found myself looking up at the night sky differently. The stars were no longer simply bright or dim. They each had their own colour and, with it, their own story.

That’s exactly the kind of image I want in this collection.

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.