Fishes

  • Poissons

    Poissons

    Odilon Redon (French, 1840–1916)

    Glowing fish dart through watery shadows, their scales catching light like scattered coins. The brushstrokes blur into liquid movement—a fleeting glimpse beneath the surface where color pulses and fades. Something alive flickers there, just beyond reach.

  • Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.060 (1718-1719)

    Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.060 (1718-1719)

    Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

    Vibrant fish dart between spiny crabs and oddly shaped crayfish, their scales shimmering in impossible colors. The seafloor teems with creatures both familiar and bizarre, each rendered with meticulous detail—a surreal underwater menagerie frozen mid-movement.

  • Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.042 (1718-1719)

    Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.042 (1718-1719)

    Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

    Vibrant fish dart between spindly crabs, their scales shimmering in impossible hues. A lobster’s claws stretch wide, poised to snap. Each creature twists with exaggerated, almost grotesque detail—nature amplified into something fantastical. The sea here teems with life both familiar and utterly strange.

  • Pseudolabrus miles (Kelp) (1876)

    Pseudolabrus miles (Kelp) (1876)

    Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

    A kelp frond sways in unseen currents, its amber blades framing a flash of crimson—the slender fish darting through tangled green. Watercolor strokes blur the boundary between specimen and habitat, each scale and leaf rendered with equal precision. Life pulses beneath the surface.

  • THE BEAUTIFUL SPARUS (1789-1813)

    THE BEAUTIFUL SPARUS (1789-1813)

    George Shaw (English, 1966–)

    A shimmering fish, scales catching light, floats suspended in delicate watercolor. The sparus’s vivid hues—gold, silver, hints of blue—ripple like liquid metal. Every fin, every gill rendered with precision, as if it might dart off the page. A quiet marvel of life beneath the surface.

  • Unidentified Fish (10)

    Unidentified Fish (10)

    Luigi Balugani (Italian, 1737–1770)

    A slender fish glides through blank space, its scales rendered in delicate watercolor—pale gold fading to translucent gray. The precise lines suggest scientific scrutiny, yet the creature seems to hover between study and dream. No habitat, no shadows; just this unnamed specimen, suspended in quiet examination.

  • Nemadactylus macropterus (NZ) _ Tarakihi (1867)

    Nemadactylus macropterus (NZ) _ Tarakihi (1867)

    Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

    The Tarakihi’s silver scales gleam against deep blue, its fins splayed like delicate fans. Every spine and curve is precise, as if the fish might flick its tail and dart off the page. A quiet intensity lingers—this isn’t just a study, but a life suspended in motion.

  • Perca punctata, The Negro-fish. (1785-1797)

    Perca punctata, The Negro-fish. (1785-1797)

    Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

    A slender fish with delicate scales, its body marked by dark spots. The precise lines of the engraving reveal each fin’s intricate structure, frozen in motion as if gliding through unseen water. The details suggest both scientific accuracy and an almost lifelike energy.

  • Cyprinus macrophthalmus, The Telescope. (1785-1797) (1)

    Cyprinus macrophthalmus, The Telescope. (1785-1797) (1)

    Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

    A goldfish with bulging, glassy eyes swims across the page, its delicate fins etched in precise lines. The engraving captures the odd beauty of this creature—part elegant, part grotesque—its exaggerated features frozen in meticulous detail.