Printmaking Archives - Page 16 of 20

1. Chaetodon unimaculatus; 2. Chaetodon arcuatus, The Arc-Fish. (1785-1797)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

Two tropical fish, one spotted, the other striped in bold arcs, float against a blank background. Their delicate fins and intricate patterns emerge from precise black lines, each scale rendered with scientific clarity. The contrast between their forms highlights nature’s playful variations within a single species.
Perca Guttata, The Hind. (1785-1797) (1)

Marcus Elieser Bloch (German, 1723–1799)

The spotted perch glides across the page, its scales etched with precision—each dot, each fin rendered in sharp detail. A scientific study transformed into art, where even the gills seem to pulse with life. The fish isn’t just depicted; it’s preserved in ink, frozen mid-swim.
Fauna japonica Pl.108 (1833-1850)

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (German, 1796–1866)

Delicate wings unfold against crisp paper—a Japanese insect preserved in ink. Every vein, every subtle curve of its body rendered with scientific precision, yet alive with quiet grace. The specimen seems poised to take flight from the page, bridging worlds through meticulous lines.
Atlas państwa zwierzęcego Pl.83 (1905)

Kurt Lampert (German, unknown)

A meticulous engraving of the animal kingdom, where each creature is etched with scientific precision—fur, feather, and scale rendered in stark black lines against the page. The composition hums with quiet order, a taxonomy frozen in ink.
Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.005 (1841)

Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

Delicate veins trace across broad leaves, their edges curling like parchment. Stems twist upward, bearing clusters of tiny blossoms—each petal rendered with precise, inked lines. A hidden world of texture and form emerges from the page, inviting closer study of nature’s intricate designs.
Atlas państwa zwierzęcego Pl.38 (1905)

Kurt Lampert (German, unknown)

A meticulous engraving of the animal kingdom, each line precise as a scalpel’s cut. Creatures frozen in scientific clarity, their forms rendered with the exactitude of a field guide—yet something wild lingers in the margins.
Fauna japonica Pl.030 (1833-1850)

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold (German, 1796–1866)

Delicate wings unfold against precise lines, a Japanese insect preserved in ink. The engraving balances scientific detail with quiet elegance, each vein and segment rendered with exacting care. Here, nature meets meticulous craftsmanship, frozen in black and white.
Armillaria aurantia Schäff. Quél. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Golden-orange fungi cluster on the page, their gilled caps delicate yet bold against the stark white background. Each stem twists with lifelike precision, as if freshly plucked from damp forest soil. The engraving’s fine lines reveal every rib and curve, turning decay into something strangely elegant.
Poissons, ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires.. Pl.012 (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 twisted into bizarre, almost alien forms. The sea’s strangest creatures, frozen mid-motion, as if plucked from a fevered dream of the deep.