Clupea Atherinoides; Cyprinus Clupeoides

Item Information

Title:
Clupea Atherinoides; Cyprinus Clupeoides
Title (alt.):
Clupea Atherinoides; Cyprinus Clupeoides
Description:
Marcus Elieser Bloch, a German physician with a passion for natural history, compiled a groundbreaking ichthyological reference work in the 18th century. Frustrated by his predecessors' incomplete texts, Bloch decided to catalogue all of the world's known fish. His resulting twelve-volume book, Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische, was published between 1782 and 1795 and described 432 types of fish, 267 of which were previously undiscovered. Bloch's informative text was accompanied by copperplate engravings by several artists and draftsmen, including Gabriel Bodenehr, Johann Friedrich Hennig, Andreas Ludwig Krüger, C. L. Schmidt, J. G. Schmidt, and Ludewig Schmidt, among many others. Created from life, the masterful prints later received color finishes which capture their subjects so accurately that present-day ichthyologists continue to consult them. Naturalist print Clupea Atherinoides; Cyprinus Clupeoides employs color and shading to build convincing depictions of two fish. Johann Friedrich Hennig designed and engraved the piece as the 408th plate for Bloch's Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische between 1785 and 1795. A blank background and a pair of cross-sections suggest a purely scientific motive behind the piece. Hennig devotes little attention to composition; though the fish are refreshingly offset and of different sizes, these choices likely reflect the physical specimens instead of artistic decisions. Delicate hatch marks add form and value, particularly to the scales. Pale watercolor paint enhances the depth of each fish, presenting two lifelike portrayals.
Artist:
Hennig, J. F. (Johann Friedrich ), approximately 1778-
Engraver:
Hennig, J. F. (Johann Friedrich ), approximately 1778-
Date:
[ca. 1785]
Format:
Prints
Genre:
engravings (prints)
Location:
Northeastern University Library
Collection (local):
Marine Life Prints
Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische
Subjects:
Clupea atherinoides
Cyprinus clupeoides
Pterengraulis atherinoides
Alburnus chalcoides
Caspian shemaya
Danube bleak
Wingfin anchovy
Silver striped herring
Herring-carp
Bleak (Fish)
Cyprinus
Cyprinidae
Anchovies
Clupea
Clupeiformes
Freshwater fishes
Fishes
Animals
Link to Item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20129190
Terms of Use:
No Copyright. The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Contact host institution for more information.
Publisher:
Berlin : Marcus Elieser Bloch
Identifier:
marine_bloch_020