Sunday, November 16, 2008

Piscium

Suillus


Cornus, foliis Salicis Laurece acuminatis; floribus albis; fructu sassafras AND Orbis laevis variegatus


Unicornuis, Piscis Bahamensis


Frutex aquaticus, floribus luteis, fructu rotundo quinque-capsulari AND Acus maxima Squamosa viridis


Phylanthos Americana Planta flores ad foliorum crenas proferens AND Remora


An Acarauna major pinnis cornutis; an Paru Brasiliensibus


Anthea quartus Rondeletii


Bagre Secundae Speciei Marggr. affinis


Gugupuguacu Brasil AND Saltatrix


Harengus minor Bahamensis


Lithophyton longe racemosum cortice flavo perforato AND Muraena maculata nigris


Perca marina venenosa punctata


Perca marina capite Striato AND Albula Bahamensis


Salpa purpurascens variegata AND Petimbuabo Brasil


Solea lunata et punctata


Turdus flavus AND Turdus cinereus peltatus


Turdus oculo radiato Guaperua maxima caudata


Mark Catesby - Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands (fish)


Turdus Rhomboidalis AND Turdus cauda convexa


These striking and sometimes fanciful hand-coloured 18th century engravings were published in Germany in 1777 in a book called 'Piscium, Serpentum, Insectorum, Aliorumque Nonnullorum Animalum'.

The illustrations were produced by Nicholaus Eisenberger and Georg Lichtensteiger. As I was to discover, they had re-engraved in folio format images that originally appeared in Volume II of Mark Catesby's seminal work, 'The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands'.

Catesby's magnum opus was published in London in instalments between 1729 and 1743 and stands as the first comprehensive illustrated natural history work detailing the flora and fauna of America.

[click on any image for an enlarged view; very large versions are also available]

2 comments :

Myriam Laffont said...

A lot of thanks for sharing with us those beauties!
Everytime, it's for me a great and precious pleasure!
And this time, fishes... lovely!
Thanks,thanks, thanks!

Tess Kincaid said...

Striking is right! They are marvelous. I am in awe every time I visit.

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