SALVIANI - THE DREAMFISH SEA BREAM woodcut (Salpa sarpa) 1554

 THE SALPA SEA BREAM - DREAMFISH 

This extremely rare and very beautiful engraving of a 'dreamfish' sea bream by Antonio Lafreri (1512 -1577), with superb recent professional hand colouring, is from Ippolito Salviani’s classic masterpiece on ichthyology, “Aquatilium animalium historia,” published in Rome in 1554 -1558.

Almost all of the fishes are of Italy with some from Illyria and the Archipelago. Salviani’s “Aquatilium animalium historia” was the first iconography of fishes illustrated with copper engravings rather than woodcuts, and the results are truly striking and exceptional.

“A finely printed work, the plates of which in accuracy and beauty far surpass any figures published in the next 100 years.”

Dean, Bibli. of Fishes Vol III p. 312

"Salviani's great work...got up in a style and elegance and execution of which we rarely see an example in these later times, and comprising nearly 100 copperplates of the same dimensions, many of which have not been surpassed by the efforts of modern art."

Memoir of Salviani - Bushman 1843

Ref: Pietsch - Cuvier "Historical Portrait of the Progress of Ichthyology” 1995 Condition:

Condition:  Very good, may have very minor imperfections expected with age, please examine our images carefully and contact us if you have any questions. On chain-lined watermarked heavy paper, copy of decorative title page inc.