Original Antique Print of Marine Worms and Polyps by Bertuch, 1805

Original Antique Print of Marine Worms and Polyps by Bertuch, 1805

Original antique hand-colored copper engraving depicting an extraordinary selection of marine worms, tube worms and polyp-like organisms, published in Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s celebrated “Bilderbuch für Kinder” in Weimar in 1805.

The plate is titled “Würmer V / Vers V” and presents several unusual marine organisms in three groups. The largest composition shows colorful tube-dwelling creatures attached to rocks, some displaying elaborate fan-shaped crowns of tentacles. Additional figures below illustrate colonial and microscopic forms in enlarged detail.

The unusual forms and delicate original hand coloring make this an especially decorative example of early 19th-century marine natural-history illustration. The plate also demonstrates the difficulties faced by zoologists around 1800 when classifying marine invertebrates, many of which were then grouped broadly under the historical category of “worms.”

The engraving is signed “J. H. Schmuzer” at lower right.

Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822) was a German publisher, writer and patron of the arts. He is best known for his monumental “Bilderbuch für Kinder” (Picture Book for Children), one of the great illustrated educational encyclopedias of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Published in Weimar from 1790 onward, the work contained hundreds of finely engraved and hand-colored plates devoted to natural history, geography, science, technology, costumes and mythology.

An unusual and highly decorative antique marine-life print with considerable appeal for collectors of natural history, marine biology and early scientific illustration.

Creator:

Friedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822)

Engraver:

J. H. Schmuzer

Source:

Bilderbuch für Kinder

Plate:

Würmer V / Vers V

Place of Publication:

Weimar, Germany

Date of Manufacture:

1805

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. Light age-related toning and occasional minor spotting and marks. Minor marginal wear. Original hand coloring remains attractive. Please refer to the photographs for further details of condition.

Please note:

This is an original antique print from 1805, not a modern reproduction. The print is sold unframed. Framed images or interior views, if shown, are for presentation and inspiration only.

Keywords:

antique marine life print, marine worm print, tube worm print, polyps, sea life engraving, marine biology print, ocean life print, Bertuch print, Friedrich Justin Bertuch, J. H. Schmuzer, natural history print, hand colored engraving, zoological engraving, scientific illustration, marine invertebrates, antique sea life, 1805 engraving