About this sheet
Original Antique Natural History Print of Shipworm and Sea Pen by Bertuch, c. 1800
Original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting two remarkable marine invertebrates, published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” around the beginning of the 19th century.
The plate is titled “Würmer XI / Vermes XI / Vers XI” and bears the reference “XI.B.7” at lower right. It belongs to Bertuch’s section devoted to animals historically classified as worms, a much broader zoological category than the term represents today.
Fig. 1 depicts an unusual shell-dwelling marine worm or mollusc shown through several detailed anatomical views. The specimen is illustrated both externally and opened, revealing the relationship between the soft-bodied animal and its protective shell. The vivid reddish body contrasts beautifully with the ribbed brown, yellow and cream shell.
The multiple views reflect Bertuch’s educational approach, allowing the reader to compare the exterior shell with the internal structure and soft anatomy of the animal.
Fig. 2 illustrates a long, slender colonial marine organism resembling a sea pen, with numerous regularly arranged lateral polyps extending along a central stem. Its delicate, almost feather-like form creates a striking contrast with the substantial shell and anatomical studies above.
The plate provides a fascinating glimpse into marine zoology around 1800, when the classification of many unusual ocean organisms was still developing. Creatures that today are separated into very different zoological groups were frequently brought together under the broad historical category “Vermes.”
The engraving is beautifully enhanced with original hand coloring in shades of red, yellow, brown, pink and blue. The combination of scientific anatomical detail and unusual marine forms gives the sheet considerable cabinet-of-curiosities appeal.
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. His monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children) was one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Published in Weimar from 1790 onward, it contained hundreds of finely engraved and hand-colored plates devoted to zoology, botany, geography, science, technology, antiquity and many other subjects.
Creator:
Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822)
Source:
Bilderbuch für Kinder
Plate:
Würmer XI / Vermes XI / Vers XI
Reference:
XI.B.7
Subject:
Marine Worms, Mollusc and Sea Pen
Place of Publication:
Weimar, Germany
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1800
Period:
Early 19th Century
Style:
Neoclassical – In the Period of
Medium:
Original hand-colored copper engraving on paper
Condition:
Good. Wear consistent with age and use. General age-related toning with scattered foxing, spotting and minor marks. Some marginal wear and edge irregularities, including a small loss to the upper right corner. Original hand coloring remains strong and attractive. Please refer to the photographs for further details of condition.
Please note:
This is an original antique engraving from around 1800, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.
Other companion marine-life and natural-history plates from Bertuch’s “Bilderbuch für Kinder” are also available separately.
Keywords:
antique marine life print, marine worm, shipworm, sea pen, mollusc print, shell anatomy, marine invertebrates, ocean zoology, anatomical engraving, natural history print, cabinet of curiosities, Bertuch print, Friedrich Justin Bertuch, hand colored engraving, scientific illustration, circa 1800
