Cyprinus Bipunctatus; Cypr Gobio; Cypr Amarius; Cypr Alburnus; Cypr Phoxinus

Item Information

Title:
Cyprinus Bipunctatus; Cypr Gobio; Cypr Amarius; Cypr Alburnus; Cypr Phoxinus
Title (alt.):
Cyprinus Bipunctatus; Cypr Gobio; Cypr Amarius; Cypr Alburnus; Cypr Phoxinus
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. Plate 8 of Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische, created by Andreas Ludwig Krüger and J.G. Schmidt between 1782 and 1784, describes five fish. Originally thought to be separate species under the same genus (Cyprinus), the species have been reclassified over time and are not as closely related as they seem. Figure 1, Cyprinus bipunctatus, is known by many common names, including riffle minnow, bleak, schneider, and spirlin, as well as by its scientific name Alburnoides bipunctatus. Cyprinus gobio, Figure 2, also has new names, such as Gobio gobio and gudgeon. The smaller fish in Figure 3 now goes by Rhodeus amarus in lieu of Cyprinus amarus, though its common name remains the European bitterling. Figure four features Cyprinus alburnus, or Alburnus alburnus, also called a bleak or alver. The last fish, Cyprinus phoxinus, or a minnow, is known as Phoxinus phoxinus. Regardless of their reclassifications, the fish are easily recognizable by ichthyologists due to their accurate artistic portrayals. Dappled watercolor paint captures the iridescence of marine scales, while hatch marks add three-dimensional form. Plain composition and sketched cross-sections reinforce the informational value of the copperplate engraving.
Artist:
Krüger, Andreas Ludwig
Engraver:
Schmidt, J. G.
Date:
[ca. 1782]
Format:
Prints
Genre:
engravings (prints)
Location:
Northeastern University Library
Collection (local):
Marine Life Prints
Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische
Subjects:
Cyprinus bipunctatus
Cypr amarius
Alburnoides bipunctatus
Rhodeus amarus
Schneider
Spirlin
Riffle minnow
Gudgeon
European bitterling
Alver
Bitterling
Rhodeus
Bleak (Fish)
Alburnus
Minnows
Phoxinus phoxinus
Gobio
Cyprinidae
Freshwater fishes
Fishes
Animals
Link to Item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20129171
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_001