Blog - M A J E S T I C  P R I N T S 
  • Step Right Up: The Advertising Print of Sideshow Attraction Captain Costentenus "The Tattooed Greek"

    Step right up and behold the incredible Captain George Costentenus, "The Tattooed Greek"! This stunning advertising print captures the mesmerizing allure of a 19th-century sideshow attraction.

    Captain George Costentenus was a performer who mesmerized audiences with his intricate and colorful tattoos - something completely foreign and taboo to audiences of the time. Born in Greece in the late 1800s, Costentenus
    claimed to have been captured and tattooed against his will in Chinese Tartary (an area stretching east from Tibet through Mongolia, to Manchuria) as punishment for rebellion against the King...
  • The "Zodiacal Man" in Jean de Berry's Book of Hours: A Masterpiece of Illuminated Art

    The Zodiacal Man image from Jean de Berry's Book of Hours is a unique and fascinating piece of art that has captured the attention of historians, art enthusiasts, and astrology buffs alike.

    Located in the British Library in London, this illuminated manuscript was created in the early 15th century for Jean de Berry, a wealthy and influential patron of the arts. The Book of Hours was a type of devotional text that contained prayers and psalms, and was often lavishly decorated with illuminated miniatures.

    One of the most striking miniatures in the Book of Hours is the Zodiacal Man, or "Homo Signorum" (Man of Signs) which depicts a human figure with images of the twelve astrological signs arranged on and around his body…
  • Beer Street, Gin Lane, and the Road to Temperance

    Todays fetured artwork are the companion prints of "Beer Street" and "Gin Lane", issued in 1751 by English artist William Hogarth. These impressively detailed works were created in support of what would become the Gin Act, imposing high taxes and government control of the distilling and sales of gin, which had been popularized as an alternative to French wine and brandy in a time when the two countries were at odds in the late 17th century. Prior to this time alcohol consumption in England was restricted for the most part to ale, beer, and cider. The "Gin Craze", as it came to be known, was a wild departure from these drinking habits, and was an urban phenomenon confined mostly to the working class poor...
  • Subterranean Fires & Waters - Geological Wonders

    Behold the geological splendor of this art print set of Athanasius Kircher's "Subterranean Fires" & "Subterranean Waters" from the year 1668!
  • Smith’s Visible Heavens Star Charts

    Our newest set of prints comes from Asa Smith's Illustrated Astronomy published in the year 1849, and considered one of the most important texts on astronomy in the 19th century. Smith was the principal of Public School No. 12 in New York City and spent the majority of three years writing and designing this groundbreaking text meant for use as a public school text. The book containes numerous illustrations in 50 lessons accompanied by text which aimed “to present all the distinguishing principles in physical astronomy with as few words as possible; but with such ocular demonstrations, by way of diagrams and maps, as shall make the subject easily understood.“ What’s remarkable is that every illustration was drawn by Smith himself, and engraved on wood blocks for printing...
  • Love, Arson, and the City of Fire

    Our featured print today is the 1867 Ukiyo-e woodblock print “The Young Maiden Oshichi”, by Utagawa Kuniteru. The subject is a likeness of the real historical legend Yaoyo Oshichi, a Japanese teenager born in Edo in 1663. Hers is a tragic story of young love gone awry in a sprawling metropolis that had earned the nickname “City of Fire”...
  • Celestial Map of the Universe (aka the Greatest Astronomical Map Ever)

    Today we pay homage to the map that kicked off our foray into the world of old maps and art prints, Thomas Wright's astrologic/astronomic "Celestial Map of the Universe". This is, hands down, one of the most striking celestial charts we've had the good fortune to gaze upon, and we felt a powerful urge to share it with the world. It's simply an astoundingly handsome peice that has survived to reach us from the year 1742!
  • The Face of Christ in an Amazing Continuous Line Engraving

    The "Veil of Saint Veronica" from the year 1649, often referred to simply as "The Face of Christ", is a portrait created using a single continuous line spiraling out from the tip of the nose. The image bears the words "Formatur Unicus Una", loosely translated from the Latin as "formed only by one"...
  • Oedipus on Murder, Incest, Fate, and the Riddle of the Sphinx

    In our exclusive edition of Jean Auguste Ingres's detailed drawing, we meet the traveling Oedipus in conversation with the Sphinx, a creature with the head of a woman, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle, who guarded the road into the city of Thebes.

    The Sphinx would pose a riddle to passing travelers; one had only to answer correctly to pass into the city, yet none had ever solved it and were promptly devoured.

    The Sphinx's riddle went as such...
  • Vintage Art and Antiquated Prints

    Majestic Prints was born out of our passion for the antiquated art and relics of the past. Old maps, fantastical art, scientific illustrations, architectural drawings... These are works by true old masters who put painstaking effort and hours into creating some truly mind blowing feats of artistry. So much amazing imagery has been created throughout history, and as we progress through our own times we lose touch and often completely miss out on appreciating them. We've made it our mission to "bring sexy back", and expose these great works to as many people as possible.

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