Hand Colored Engraving from Natural History of Fish, Marcus Block (ca 1785-95)
This hand-color engraving is from (or based on) an image from a 9 Volume publication considered one of the great encyclopedic compilations in ichthyology, the natural history of fish, that was commission by Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723-1799). It included 432 hand-colored numbered engraved plates, heightened with silver and gum arabic, most drawn by Andreas Ludwig Krüger (identified as "Krüger jun" in the bottom left corner). It was engraved by Ludewig Schmidt, whose name is faded at the right corner under the print number 123.
Though it is difficult to determine when this particular image was printed, it is hand colored and is of very high quality.
It shows 3 fish plus a detailed cross section on one:
Figure 1 portrays Centriscus scolopax, reclassified as Macroramphosus scolopax and commonly known as a Longspine snipefish. Centriscus scutatus in Figure 2 is also known as a grooved razor-fish. And figures 3 and 4 represents Cyclopterus liparis, the unctuous sucker, with a cross section view, which I believe either shows it from the top or the bottom.
It measures 14 x 7 1/2 inches sight and is beautifully, professionally matted in a 22 x 18 3/4 inch gold frame.
similar nature.