Other Prints · 19th century
€ 180
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good. Moderate offsetting and a few light brownish spots outside the image. Aged paper with typically warm, yellowish-brown hue. Please study the image carefully.
This print from Pierre Auguste Joseph Drapiez's 'Dictionnaire Classique des Sciences Naturelles' illustrates three types of sea snails, each rendered with meticulous attention to detail:
1. **Casque Bézoard (Cassis glauca)**: This is likely a depiction of a helmet shell, characterized by its thick, heavy shell with a broad lip, often used for carving and ornamentation.
2. **Harpe Ventrue (Harpa ventricosa)**: Known as the ventricose harp, it is a tropical sea snail with a distinctively ridged and colorful shell, resembling the strings of a harp.
3. **Buccin Écaille (Buccinum testudineum)**: This could be a whelk, a type of sea snail with a spiraled shell, often featuring a patterned surface that resembles the scales of a tortoise.
The print itself is a hand-colored engraving, a common method of scientific illustration in the 19th century, which allowed for the detailed and accurate representation of natural specimens. These images were not only scientific tools but also works of art, combining precision and aesthetics to educate and fascinate.
