Printmaking Archives

Holocentrus punctatus, The punctulated Holocentre. (1785-1797) (1)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

Scales shimmer with precise dots, each mark a tiny universe. The fish’s spine curves like a question, fins splayed as if caught mid-motion. Dark eyes watch from paper, alive in ink and line. A specimen frozen, yet pulsing with the energy of the deep.
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.029 (1718-1719)

Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

Vibrant fish dart between spiny crabs and crimson crayfish, their scales shimmering like polished metal. The seafloor teems with creatures both familiar and bizarre—some striped like tigers, others adorned with curling tendrils. Each detail pulses with life, as if the page itself could ripple with saltwater.
Epinephelus ruber, The red Wall-eye. (1785-1797) (1)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

The red Wall-eye glides across the page, scales etched with precision, its vivid hue contrasting starkly against the blank background. Every fin and gill is rendered with scientific clarity, yet the fish seems poised to flick its tail and swim off the paper.
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.031 (1718-1719)

Louis Renard (French, 1678–1746)

Vibrant fish dart between spiny crabs and crimson crayfish, their scales shimmering in impossible hues. The seafloor teems with creatures both familiar and bizarre—each twist of a tail, each claw’s curve, defying expectation. A world where nature’s palette runs wild.
De uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen, Asia, Africa en America pl13 (1779-1782)

Pieter Cramer (Dutch, 1721–1776)

Delicate wings unfurl in precise engravings, each vein and spot meticulously recorded. These butterflies, frozen mid-flight, reveal nature’s intricate patterns—a silent dance of color and form across continents.
Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.061 (1841)

Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

Delicate veins branch across translucent leaves, each curve etched with precision. A hidden world unfolds—petals unfurl, stems twist, nature’s geometry laid bare in ink. No flourish escapes the page; every thorn and tendril holds its place. Here, science and art share the same sharp line.
Hypholoma capnoides Fr. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Delicate gills fan out beneath the pale cap, each rib precise as lace. The mushroom stands solitary, its muted hues etched with scientific clarity—a quiet study of decay’s quiet elegance.
Anthias testudineus, The Tortoise-fish. (1785-1797)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

A delicate fish with tortoise-like markings swims across the page, its scales etched in precise lines. The engraving balances scientific detail with quiet elegance, turning a marine creature into something both studied and artful.
Atlas państwa zwierzęcego Pl.51 (1905)

Kurt Lampert (German, unknown)

A meticulous grid of creatures—each insect, bird, and mammal pinned in place like specimens under glass. The lines are sharp, the details exact, yet the page hums with hidden life. Every stroke feels like a scientist’s hand pausing mid-dissection, caught between order and wildness.