fish Archives - Zartify

Unidentified Fish (11)

Luigi Balugani (Italian, 1737–1770)

A slender fish glides through the page, its scales rendered in delicate watercolor washes—pale gold fading to translucent silver along the belly. The precise lines of its fins suggest motion, as if it might dart off the paper with one flick of its tail.
Unidentified Fish (12)

Luigi Balugani (Italian, 1737–1770)

A slender fish drifts in pale wash, its scales precise as etched glass. Fins flare like translucent parchment, edges sharp against the muted background. The creature seems both weightless and poised to flick away with one sudden turn.
Helicolenus percoides (NZ) _ Perch (1867)

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

A perch glides through pale water, its scales catching the light. Fins splay like delicate fans, each spine precise. The muted greens and golds blur at the edges, as if the fish might flick its tail and vanish into deeper currents.
Pseudomonacanthus peroni (1873)

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

A slender fish with delicate fins hovers against pale parchment, its mottled brown scales precise as nature’s own brushstrokes. The careful shading suggests movement—as if it might dart off the page with the next ripple of water.
Unidentified Fish (1)

Luigi Balugani (Italian, 1737–1770)

A watercolor fish, scales gleaming, drifts against blank paper—unnamed, unknown. Its delicate fins seem to tremble, caught between scientific record and something wilder, refusing to be pinned down.
Bodianus guttatus, The Jen-fish. (1785-1797)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

The Jen-fish glides across the page, its spotted flank etched with precision. Delicate gills flare, fins splay like lace—an underwater dance frozen in ink. Every scale catches the light, a silent testament to life beneath the waves.
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.048 (1718-1719)

Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

Vibrant fish dart between spindly crabs and crayfish with exaggerated claws. The creatures twist in unnatural hues—crimson, gold, and electric blue—as if plucked from a fever dream of the sea. Every scale and pincer bends reality, turning the ocean’s depths into a kaleidoscope.
The Sole (Solea lunata & c) (1731-1743)

Mark Catesby (English, 1683–1749)

A flat, sand-colored fish lies still against the ocean floor, its mottled skin blending seamlessly with the grains beneath. Delicate fins taper like whispers into the water. The muted palette belies the precision in each scale—a masterclass in camouflage, painted with the patience of a predator waiting.
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.073 (1718-1719)

Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

Vibrant fish dart across the page, their scales shimmering in impossible hues. A crimson crab claws at the edge, while spined crayfish lurk below—each creature twisted into bizarre, almost dreamlike forms. The sea here teems with life both familiar and utterly strange.