Natural History

Natural history prints with a quiet, archival presence — precise, aged, and rich in the atmosphere of scientific curiosity and collected observation.

  • De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl19 (1779-1782)

    De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl19 (1779-1782)

    Pieter Cramer (Dutch, 1721–1776)

    Delicate wings unfurl in precise detail—each vein, spot, and gradient of color meticulously recorded. These butterflies and moths, frozen mid-flight, reveal nature’s intricate artistry. The engravings transform fleeting beauty into something permanent, a silent catalog of life’s fragile patterns.

  • Variété du Magnifique. (1806)

    Variété du Magnifique. (1806)

    Jacques Barraband (French, unknown)

    A vibrant bird perches among lush foliage, its plumage a riot of color against delicate leaves. Every feather seems alive, rendered with precision that blurs the line between art and nature. The creature’s gaze holds something wild yet poised, as if frozen mid-motion between flight and stillness.

  • Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.029 (1841)

    Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.029 (1841)

    Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

    Delicate veins branch across translucent leaves, each curve precise as a surgeon’s incision. The engraving freezes their unfurling—not just plants, but architectures of light and shadow. Here, botany becomes blueprint.

  • Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.064 (1718-1719)

    Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.064 (1718-1719)

    Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

    Vibrant fish dart across the page, their scales shimmering in impossible hues. Nearby, a crimson crayfish raises its claws beside a crab with spiked armor. Each creature twists with exaggerated forms, as if plucked from a sailor’s wildest tale of the deep.

  • Fishes XI (1885-1890) (1)

    Fishes XI (1885-1890) (1)

    Frederick McCoy (Irish, unknown)

    Delicate watercolor strokes bring these fish to life—each scale, fin, and flicker of movement preserved with scientific precision. The colors haven’t faded; the sea might as well still ripple around them.

  • Le Toco. (1806)

    Le Toco. (1806)

    Jacques Barraband (French, unknown)

    A toucan’s beak glows against muted greens, its black feathers edged with iridescence. Watercolor strokes give life to each barb, as if the bird might blink and tilt its head any moment. The paper holds not just an image, but the weight of a living gaze.

  • Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.024 (1718-1719)

    Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.024 (1718-1719)

    Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

    Vibrant fish dart across the page, their scales shimmering in impossible hues. A crimson crab claws at a cobalt crayfish, both creatures twisted into fantastical shapes. The sea teems with life—each specimen more bizarre than the last, as if pulled from a fever dream of the deep.

  • The Challenge (1917)

    The Challenge (1917)

    Archibald Thorburn (Scottish, 1860–1935)

    Two grouse lock eyes, feathers ruffled in the crisp air. One leans forward, wings half-spread—a silent dare. The muted moorland stretches behind them, all heather and shadow. No sound but the wind, yet the tension crackles like dry twigs underfoot.

  • De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl40 (1779-1782)

    De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl40 (1779-1782)

    Pieter Cramer (Dutch, 1721–1776)

    Delicate wings unfurl across the page—vivid patterns from Asia, Africa, and America preserved in precise engravings. Each butterfly and moth seems poised to lift off the paper, a fleeting glimpse of distant continents frozen in ink. The lines blur between science and art, nature captured mid-flight.