Athanasius Kircher was a Jesuit scholar and polymath who dedicated himself to the systematization of all human knowledge. He became interested in the subterranean world during his 1637 trip to Malta, where he explored the island’s inland seas, geological formations and underground passageways. The following year, a massive earthquake struck while he was crossing the Straits of Messina. From aboard ship, he observed the boiling sea, the formation of vast whirlpools and pillars of smoke billowing from Mount Stromboli. His desire for firsthand knowledge of the processes unfolding beneath the earth’s surface led him to investigate the interior of Mount Vesuvius, where he encountered a trembling gulph of sulfurous gas and spewing lava.
In 1665, he published Mundus Subterraneus, an expansive cosmography of natural phenomena that treated of everything from the spontaneous generation of insects to the geography of Atlantis. In this work, he proposed that the earth’s volcanoes were connected through a subterranean network of fire-lakes and channels that extended all the way to a central fire at the planet’s core. “For wherever there is a volcano,” he reasoned, “there also is a conservatory or storehouse of fire under it….And these fires argue for deeper treasuries and storehouses of fire, in the very heart and inward bowels of the Earth.”
Bodies of water were likewise connected through an underground network of lakes and canals. The volcanic system provided energy for this hydrosystem to circulate, thereby preventing the seas from becoming frozen or stagnant, while the water, in turn, stirred up the subterraneous fire (in a fashion of a bellows) and prevented the earth from becoming engulfed in flames. Volcanoes acted as safety valves, allowing for the occasional release of heat into the atmosphere.
Product Information
Expect crisp detail and vivid color from our giclée process fine art prints. We use archival pigment inks on cotton fiber paper to achieve a wide color gamut, deep blacks and beautiful tonal transitions. Unlike posters, they will not fade or yellow, but maintain their original quality for as long as you own them.
How to Frame
Historical artworks were produced in whatever shapes and sizes best suited the artists and their patrons, and these rarely correspond to the proportions of modern, mass-produced frames. Most reproductions sold on the web are cropped to an arbitrary standard, compromising the integrity of the original artwork. We solve this by using accent borders to make up any differences in proportion.Framing may be as simple as inserting the print into a standard size frame with the borders showing. In many cases, our customers choose to have them matted. Borders allow space for framers to mount the print while covering little, if any, of the artwork. Our images are sized to provide desirable mat widths in common frames.Sizes 9” x 12”, 12” x 16”, and 16” x 20” are designed to be matted in larger frames, such as 11” x 14”, 16” x 20” and 20” x 24”, respectively. Larger prints may be matted in frames of equal size, the borders corresponding to the shape of the mat. Where the artwork is unusually square or narrow, other sizes may be preferred.If our sizing does not meet your requirements, we provide customization free of charge. Please contact us to discuss the details.
Shipping and Returns
All orders ship within one business day. The following services are available at checkout:
United States
Shipping Class |
Price |
Estimated Delivery Window |
USPS First Class Parcel |
Free |
3 – 5 business days |
USPS Priority Mail |
$3.99 |
2 – 4 business days |
USPS Priority Mail Express |
$29.99 |
1 – 3 days, guaranteed |
Canada *
Shipping Class |
Price |
Estimated Delivery Window |
USPS First Class International |
$11.99 |
1 – 3 weeks |
USPS Priority Mail Express |
$56.99 |
3 – 5 business days |
International, Excluding Canada *
Shipping Class |
Price |
Estimated Delivery Window |
USPS First Class International |
$17.99 |
1 – 4 weeks |
USPS Priority Mail Express |
$62.99 |
3 – 5 business days |
* International orders may be subject to import taxes at time of delivery.
Returns Policy
If you are unhappy with your order for any reason, you are welcome to return it within 60 days for a full refund. Please contact us and return your item(s) to:
The Ibis
809 Grant Street
Endicott, NY 13760
Your return will be processed on receipt.