Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original file
About This Work
The image displays two sides of a printed banknote. The top section features the town's heraldic crest surmounted by a clerical galero with tassels, while the bottom section illustrates the 'Laterna Magica' projecting an image of a skeleton onto a wall in a room with a checkered floor. The text explicitly credits Kircher as the inventor of this early optical device.
Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680) was a pivotal figure in 17th-century natural philosophy and Hermeticism, whose work bridged the gap between empirical science and the marvelous. This modern currency reflects his enduring legacy as a master of 'natural magic' and optics, specifically relating to his seminal work on light and shadow.