Representations of astrolabes in Western art

Abstract The relatively infrequent depiction of astrolabes in works of art seems disproportionately small in relation to the large amount of instruments that have survived and to the high number of contemporary treatises that discuss the astrolabe. In comparison, its three-dimensional counterparts – the armillary sphere, and the celestial and the terrestrial globe – have experienced wider acclaim from artists throughout the ages. The immediate ornamental and didactic appeal of these other instruments may be responsible for this trend. But also, in a broader sense, the image of the globe and the armillary sphere became a popular visual metaphor for disciplines such as geometry and astronomy, where they are still used until the present day.