Salmo Groenlandicus; Salmo Melanurus; Salmo Unimaculatus

Item Information

Title:
Salmo Groenlandicus; Salmo Melanurus; Salmo Unimaculatus
Title (alt.):
Salmo Groenlandicus; Salmo Melanurus; Salmo Unimaculatus
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. Imbibed with breathtaking colors and precise lines, Salmo Groenlandicus; Salmo Melanurus; Salmo Unimaculatus pictures three salmonid species. Selected by naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch for the 381st plate of his encyclopedia "Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische" c. 1785-95, all three specimen were drawn and engraved by J.F. Hennig, though the colorist remains unknown. Hennig mixes semicircular scales with contour hatch marks to capture the cylindrical bodies of the fish. His densely packed fine lines distinguish gelatinous fins from the more reflective metallic scales. Tonal variety and blue-green hues within the paint overlay emphasize the salmonids' silvery sheen.
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:
Salmo groenlandicus
Salmo melanurus
Salmo unimaculatus
Mallotus villosus
Hemiodus unimaculatus
Capelan
Tail-spotted salmon
Curimate
Capelin
Mallotus
Salmon
Salmo
Salmonidae
Curimata
Fishes
Animals
Link to Item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20129189
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_019