marine-life Archives

Barrier Reef Anemones II (1893)

William Saville-Kent (English, 1841–1908)

Delicate anemones sway in unseen currents, their tentacles glowing against the dark reef. Vibrant oranges and pinks pulse with life, a hidden world of movement and color beneath the waves. Each tendril reaches, alive, in this silent underwater dance.
Great Barrier Reef Echinoderms (1893)

William Saville-Kent (English, 1841–1908)

Delicate sea stars sprawl across the ocean floor, their spiny arms glowing against the reef’s shadows. Brittle stars twist like living lace, while a feather star’s tendrils drift in unseen currents—each creature a small marvel in the Great Barrier Reef’s hidden world.
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.
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.
Torquigener glaber (Tas) – Pufferfish.

Frank Edward Clarke (New Zealander, 1864–1935)

The pufferfish hovers mid-water, its spines faintly outlined against the pale wash of ocean light. Every detail—the taut skin, the delicate fins—rendered with clinical precision, yet the creature seems poised to dart or inflate at any moment. A silent tension lingers in the stillness.
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)

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.
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.
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.049 (1718-1719)

Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

Vibrant fish dart across the page, their scales shimmering in impossible hues. Nearby, a crimson crab claws at the edge, its shell patterned with intricate swirls. Each creature seems plucked from a dream—exaggerated, surreal, yet meticulously detailed. The sea has never looked so strange or alive.