Art

Marcus Éliéser Bloch was born in 1723 in Anspach. He spent the earlier part of his career as a physician, studying intestinal worms. It was not until the age of 57, that Bloch turned to the study of fish, and set himself the task of providing full descriptions and illustrations of the species known to him. His first work focused on German fish and was entirely original, based on his own observations, reliable and thorough. His study of foreign fishes, however, was based on the works of others. Thus it was subject to many of the misconceptions that filtered through the great body of travel literature during the 18th century - presenting a range of illustrations with exacting accuracy on one hand or enticing imagination on the other. Bloch worked with a number of artists. Bloch's work is much sought after, and has endured to the extent that there are several editions of his work still in print today. Engraved by SCHMIDT, Ludewig. Copper engraving. Original colour. Size: 36.5 x 19.5 cm. (14 x 7 inches)