Celestia Galactica Photografica

"A series of full page paintings capture the amazing vistas around the galaxy, including a battle on Mygeeto, refugees on Alderaan, an immense Jedi museum and much more."

―Preview for "Celestia Galactica Photografica" posted on StarWars.com^[2]

"Celestia Galactica Photografica," also known as "Celestia Galactica," is a twelve-page gallery by Ryan Church featured in the graphic novel anthology Star Wars: Visionaries, which was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2005. The gallery consists of a series of twelve in-universe paintings from various locations and events in the Star Wars galaxy, created over one hundred years after the events of the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Eras featured include the Clone Wars and Imperial Period, while other paintings take place seemingly long after the events of the original trilogy films.

The comics in Visionaries came about from a desire by author J.W. Rinzler to highlight the unused works created by concept artists working on the prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Two images from "Celestia Galactica Photografica," Mygeeto Burns and Utapau Surrenders, were used as the front and back covers of Visionaries respectively.

Summary[]

"Celestia Galactica Photografica" is a collection of twelve paintings showcasing various events and locations throughout the galaxy. The first painting is Mygeeto Burns, portraying the Battle of Mygeeto during the Clone Wars. The image shows a lightsaber-wielding Jedi standing before a Separatist LM-432 crab droid inside a burning Mygeetan city. In the background, more Jedi engage in combat with more crab droids. Alderaan Refugees shows a host of vehicles parked in a green area of the planet Alderaan. On one starship, a group of Humans gather around a fire, while others can be seen setting up tents. In Death Star Drydock, Imperial-class Star Destroyers are receiving repairs inside a Death Star. An Imperial officer and the Sith Lord Darth Vader appear to be overseeing the repairs on a platform strewn with loose paper. In AT-AT Villa, two All Terrain Armored Transports have been modified to host various buildings on a world with rocky formations. Below them, one alien guides a starship onto a landing platform while another converses with two droids below.^[1]

Green Coruscant depicts the cityscape of the planet Coruscant partially replaced with grass and trees. Several floating structures are present in the painting and colorful speeders are parked throughout, with their inhabitants appearing to observe the natural environment. Reclaimed Wreck portrays an Imperial-class Star Destroyer crashed on a forested world. Bad Pet portrays a group of four rancors rampaging through an Imperial hangar, with one holding a crushed TIE/LN starfighter. A group of stormtroopers stands before the beasts while Vader points towards them. Bridgeworld Lost also takes place during the Clone Wars, featuring Skakoans on a world containing bridge cities surrendering to clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic. Executor Executes portrays the Super Star Destroyer Executor and other Star Destroyers attacking an artificial ring surrounding an astronomical object.^[1]

Jedi Museum depicts the interior of a large museum containing artifacts associated with the Jedi Order, observed by dozens of patrons throughout the building's many levels. Visible is a statue of a Jedi raising a lightsaber while riding a varactyl and a T-65 X-wing starfighter. More statues of Jedi appear on the highest level of the museum. Hunting Overlook portrays a giant tree inhabited by the Wookiees on the planet Kashyyyk. In the foreground, a group of Wookiee mechanics work on a Raddaugh Gnasp fluttercraft, and a group of colored YT-1300 light freighters take flight around the tree. Lastly, Utapau Surrenders portrays the capitulation of the planet Utapau to the Separatist Droid Army under the command of the Kaleesh General Grievous during the Clone Wars. Taking place inside one of the planet's sinkholes, a robed Pau'an kneels before Grievous, presenting him with a staff while hundreds of other Pau'ans watch on. In the background, three core ships descend into the sinkhole, with one unloading dozens of vulture droids.^[1]

Development[]

"Nevertheless, it seemed a shame not to give a voice to those artists who had perhaps more to say — to those who had become initiates in an arcane if popular artform. An obvious solution was to create a medium for this group to tell their own Star Wars stories. The result is Star Wars: Visionaries — intimate views by some of the key creators of a galaxy far, far away…"

―J.W. Rinzler, on the origins of Star Wars: Visionaries^[7]

Swvis1cover — The cover of *Star Wars: Visionaries*, which uses *Mygeeto Burns* from "Celestia Galactica Photografica."

"Celestia Galactica Photografica" was created by artist Ryan Church for Star Wars: Visionaries, a graphic novel anthology completed by concept artists for the prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith,^[7] which was released on May 19, 2005.^[8] The concept for Visionaries was pitched by author J.W. Rinzler, who wanted to honor the work completed by the film's artists that would have otherwise gone unseen.^[9] The announcement of Visionaries on StarWars.com on August 3, 2004 also revealed Church's involvement.^[10]

Some of the concepts developed for Revenge of the Sith made appearances in "Celestia Galactica Photografica." In that film's pre-production phase, the "bridge world" was planned to be the planet Saleucami, associated with the Techno Union and therefore the Separatists. Ultimately, by the time of the film's release it was modified to become the planet Cato Neimoidia and associated with a different Confederate organization: the Trade Federation.^[11] In 2002, Church had also developed the concept of an artificial ring surrounding a planet,^[12] which is visible in AT-AT Villa and Executor Executes.^[1]

Another StarWars.com post on March 15, 2005, revealed "Celestia Galactica Photografica" as part of the collection in Visionaries and provided a brief overview of some of the images, alluding to Mygeeto Burns, Alderaan Refugees, and Jedi Museum. Visionaries was edited by Jeremy Barlow and published as a trade paperback by Dark Horse Comics on April 2, 2005.^[2] Mygeeto Burns additionally served as the front cover art for Visionaries, while Utapau Surrenders appeared on the back cover.^[7] In the anthology, "Celestia Galactica Photografica" is placed tenth, between the stories "Deep Forest" and "The Eyes of Revolution."^[1] The contents page of the graphic novel uses the shortened name "Celestia Galactica."^[7]

The gallery, along with the rest of Visionaries, was later republished by Dark Horse in Star Wars Omnibus: Wild Space Volume 2^[3] on October 9, 2013.^[13] Along with "The Fourth Precept," another story from Visionaries, "Celestia Galactica Photografica" was also published by Marvel Comics in Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: Legacy Vol. 4^[4] on March 15, 2022.^[14]

Continuity[]

"'Celestia Galactica' by Ryan Church: A series of still-life images touching upon the many worlds and peoples affected by the Clone Wars."

―Description of "Celestia Galactica Photografica" from Star Wars Insider 82, which is at odds with the eras depicted in the gallery's paintings^[9]

"Celestia Galactica Photografica" portrays images of different events and locations from the Star Wars universe.^[1] According to Leland Chee, keeper of the Holocron continuity database, "Celestia Galactica Photografica" exists as a series of paintings within the Star Wars universe.^[15] The magazine Star Wars Insider 82, which was shipped to subscribers on May 17, 2005, before its wide release on May 30, provided an overview of Visionaries, which describes "Celestia Galactica Photografica" as portraying the worlds affected by the Clone Wars.^[9] However, the gallery portrays aspects of the Imperial Period, and many of the paintings have no overt connection to the Clone Wars.^[1]

Chronologically, Mygeeto Burns, Bridgeworld Lost, and Utapau Surrenders portray the events of the Clone Wars,^[1] which took place in-universe between 22 BBY and 19 BBY.^[16] The former and latter of those paintings tie in to Revenge of the Sith, in which the Pau'an Tion Medon reveals that Utapau has been occupied by Grievous prior to the events of the film, and a scene of the Battle of Mygeeto is shown.^[17] Alderaan Refugees takes place at an unspecified time^[1] prior to the Destruction of Alderaan in 0 BBY,^[16] which was originally portrayed in the 1977 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.^[18]

Death Star Drydock, Bad Pet, and Executor Executes take place during the Imperial Period. Death Star Drydock does not specify which version of the Death Star it takes place on, but it, along with Bad Pet, occur during Anakin Skywalker's time inside his armor, which began in 19 BBY^[16] as portrayed in Revenge of the Sith^[17] and ended with his death in 4 ABY^[16] in 1983's Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.^[19] Executor Executes takes place during the lifespan of the Executor,^[1] first portrayed in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.^[20] In-universe, the Executor took flight in 0.5 ABY and was destroyed at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY,^[16] as portrayed in Return of the Jedi.^[19]

AT-AT Villa and Reclaimed Wreck are set during or after the Imperial Period,^[1] as they depict vehicles used by the Galactic Empire.^[20] Hunting Overlook and Green Coruscant do not take place in a specified era.^[1] Legacy Vol. 4 of the Epic Collection series, which contains "Celestia Galactica Photografica," states that the stories inside take place more than one hundred years after the events of Return of the Jedi,^[4] which takes place in 4 ABY.^[16] Therefore, the paintings in "Celestia Galactica Photografica" must have been created in-universe after 104 ABY, within the Legacy era.^[4]

Reception[]

"Visionaries is produced in the standard trade paperback format, but I wish it were available as an over-sized hardcover. Some of the pin-ups included are stunning. The details of pieces such as the volcanic battle featured on the cover are lost in the standard format."

―Hilary Goldstein, referring to Mygeeto Burns in a review of Visionaries^[21]

In a review of Visionaries published by entertainment website IGN on March 17, 2005, reviewer Hilary Goldstein praised the Mygeeto Burns cover art but claimed that some details of the image were absent in the trade paperback format and wished a larger hardcover edition would be released.^[21]