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Please
note while our pictures are electronically watermarked,
the prints themselves are not.
Thalamophora
HCK81 $125
We are very pleased
to offer prints from an exceptional work, Kunstformen
der Natur, or Art Forms in Nature, by Ernst
Heinrich Haeckel (1834-1919), a German physician,
biologist and nature philosopher. Guided by his father
into the practice of medicine, he soon forsook this
early career to follow a path more to his liking. In
1862 he began his academic career as a biologist and
professor of zoology at the University in Jena where he
taught and conducted research until 1909.
During his tenure at Jena, he devoted time to traveling
as a field naturalist, collecting specimens along the
way. He is noted for his discovery of radiolarian, a
type of amoeboid protozoa that produces intricate
mineral skeletons found as plankton throughout the
ocean. These oceanic organisms are reflected in diverse
forms that are strikingly beautiful, almost like the
snowflakes of the sea. Notably, he also coined the terms
“phylum” & “ecology.”
Haeckel's academic and literary output was enormous, and
by the time he was 60, he had produced 42 works of over
13,000 pages, including numerous scientific memoirs.
He was a flamboyant & controversial character who
espoused Lamarckian rather than Darwinian concepts,
though he did contribute to the popularization of
Darwin’s work in Germany. Something of a maverick in the
scientific world, many of his drawings are closer to art
than reality, as he was not above inventing creatures to
substantiate his theories.
In many ways, Kunstformen der Natur was a
synthesis of Haeckel’s work and his endless fascination
with life forms on earth. Published as booklets with 10
illustrations each from 1899-1904, it is considered by
many his greatest work. Like his contemporary, Karl
Blossfeldt, who utilized photography to depict nature in
a convergence of many disciplines, including scientific,
creative & artistic, Haeckel brought together a vision
of the zoological world that is full of symmetry and is
vibrant & powerful. Between them they were seminal
influences, not only in the Art Nouveau movement of the
early 1900’s, but in the entire art world of the 20th
century, bridging the world between nature and art.
Each print is of the highest quality lithography,
measuring approximately 10 1/4 inches by 14 inches, is
in excellent condition, & on high quality paper. A copy
of the title page & relevant short description will be
included with each print. Please note these are prints
from the ORIGINAL 1904 first edition, not reproductions.
The colored prints are breathtakingly beautiful and need
little enhancement. The black and white illustrations
can be simply framed with a white, black core rag mat &
wood frame, to be superbly decorative, with a unique
vision that remains fresh & exciting to this very day.
For a wonderful current exhibit Natural Symmetry, The
Visionary Art of Ernst Haeckel, please visit the Santa
Barbara Museum of Natural History, linked below:
http://www.sbnature.org/collections/maximus/naturalsymmetry.php
We accept credit cards, PayPal, checks, and money
orders. Washington state residents pay Washington state sales tax. Shipping for this item is
$9.95. Items can be combined to save on postage.
Our environment is smoke free. We pack professionally using only new materials. All items are beautifully wrapped and suitable for sending directly as
gifts. You may return any item within 7 days if not satisfied.
To order, you may call us, fill out the order form or email.
  
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