My Basket1598 GESNER FISH PRINT - THE BARBEL
This beautiful and extraordinary leaf of a pike is from the third German edition of Conrad Gesner’s Fisch Buch, published in 1598.
With new additional woodcuts, this wonderful volume contains many illustrations after the great authors of sixteenth century ichthyology, Belon, Rondelet and Salviani. It also includes illustrations based on Gesner’s own observations of the fishes of Venice, England and Germany.
Conrad Gesner (1516-1565) a Swiss author and physician, is considered one of the most famous and important naturalists and scholars of his day and one of the founders of modern zoology. Along with his very realistic representations of the natural world, Gesner included some mythical creatures and imaginary beasts.
With fine later hand colouring, these very rare and captivating illustrations over 400 years old are highly sought after.
(Ref: Dean Bibl. of Fishes Vol 3, p. 250; Horblit, One Hundred books famous in science, 39; Nissen ZBI, 1555; Hellish A 26.6.)
