Ophidium Barbatum; Ophidium Aculeatum

Item Information

Title:
Ophidium Barbatum; Ophidium Aculeatum
Title (alt.):
Ophidium Barbatum; Ophidium Aculeatum
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. Realistic print Ophidium Barbatum; Ophidium Aculeatum displays a snake blenny and a Lesser spotted eel. Created between 1785 and 1795 by artist Andreas Ludwig Krüger and engraver Ludewig Schmidt, the print served as plate 159 for Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische. Krüger captures marine motion by sketching the snake blenny (Figure One) in an undulating form. The gently curves of figure one contrast with the eel in Figure Two, portrayed as straight and rigid. Though the figures likely appear together to save space, the stacked placement of the fish invites comparison between the two. Both figures employ stipple and hatch marks to create texture, along with pale watercolor paint for accurate coloring. Intricate details such as unique markings and cross-sections suggest the artists worked from life to create the lifelike print.
Artist:
Krüger, Andreas Ludwig
Engraver:
Schmidt, Ludewig
Date:
[ca. 1785]
Format:
Prints
Genre:
engravings (prints)
Location:
Northeastern University Library
Collection (local):
Marine Life Prints
Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische
Subjects:
Ophidium barbatum
Ophidium aculeatum
Ophidion barbatum
Macrognathus aculeatus
Snake blenny
Lesser spiny eel
Daubed shanny
Blenniidae
Eels
Synbranchiformes
Fishes
Animals
Link to Item:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20129182
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_012