Art Forms from the Abyss: Ernst Haeckel's Images From The Hms Challenger Expedition

By Peter J. le B. Williams, Dylan W. Evans, David J. Roberts, and David N. Thomas “The book’s introduction provides important context to help the reader appreciate the images on a level beyond the purely aesthetic. It covers the changing scientific climate that led to such an ambitious expedition, the understanding of ocean life at the time, Haeckel’s career, and the role of his lithographers in coloring and completing his works...While the introduction focuses on history and science, the book is primarily a celebration of the visual, and highlights both the intriguing forms of the creatures and the delicate rendering of the illustrations...Haeckel’s plates offer a perspective that modern imaging cannot. With their ability to guide our attention to specific details, the illustrations add an air of the fantastical, and encourage the viewer to consider both the science and the art of life in the ocean.”―Hakai Magazine These radiant images from the renowned 19th-century biologist and illu