Bilder Joannes Jonstonus (1603–1675) – Large Whale Stranded on a Coast – Engraving (1657)

Beskrivning

"Balæna. Ein Grosser Wallfisch von 60 Schuh lang und 41 Schuh hoch" depicts a massive whale beached on a shoreline, surrounded by numerous figures in seventeenth-century attire who are measuring and observing the specimen. The scene includes a coastal landscape with rolling hills, a small building, and a distant vessel on the horizon, illustrating the public fascination and scientific curiosity surrounding stranded marine mammals during this period. This engraving is from the work Historiae Naturalis de Piscibus et Cetis, published in Amsterdam in 1657 by Joannes Jonstonus, which served as a major compendium of aquatic life that influenced zoological studies for over a century.

Joannes Jonstonus was a Polish physician and naturalist of Scottish descent who became one of the most prolific compilers of natural history during the mid-seventeenth century. He studied at various European universities and published an extensive series of encyclopedic works covering animals, birds, fish, and insects. His publications are noted for synthesizing the observations of earlier naturalists like Gesner and Aldrovandi into a more accessible format for a Baroque audience. Jonstonus played a significant role in the transition of natural history from Renaissance lore toward the more structured taxonomic systems of the later Enlightenment.

Artist or Maker: Joannes Jonstonus.

Dimensions: Approximately 34 cm x 22 cm.

Medium: Engraving.

Date: 1657.

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.