{"product_id":"bertuch-marine-engravings-set-octopus-jellyfish-shell","title":"Bertuch Marine Life Engravings Set (1792–1810) Hand-Coloured Octopus, Jellyfish \u0026 Shell Plates","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"680\" data-end=\"855\"\u003eA rare and visually striking set of three original hand-coloured engravings from Friedrich Justin Bertuch’s \u003cem data-start=\"216\" data-end=\"239\"\u003eBilderbuch für Kinder\u003c\/em\u003e, published in Weimar between 1792 and 1810. Originally issued as separate engraved plates and later bound into volumes, their survival as individual prints reflects both their method of production and long-standing collecting practice, where such works are valued and presented independently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"857\" data-end=\"1231\"\u003eThis curated group brings together three complementary studies of marine life: a dynamic cephalopod plate (octopus and squid forms), a delicate jellyfish study, and a shell composition. When viewed together, the set captures the full range of late 18th-century natural history illustration, from structural precision to early attempts at depicting movement and translucency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1233\" data-end=\"1598\"\u003eThe cephalopod plate is the strongest visually, with its symmetrical compositions and distinctive red-accented eyes giving it an almost ornamental quality. The jellyfish engraving offers a softer, more minimal aesthetic, while the shell plate provides balance through detailed surface texture and form. Together, they form a cohesive and highly decorative grouping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1600\" data-end=\"1959\"\u003eProduced under the direction of Melchior Kraus and Johann Heinrich Lips, and engraved by a team of accomplished artists, Bertuch’s work represents one of the earliest large-scale attempts to visualise knowledge for a broad audience. With over 1,100 plates, the \u003cem data-start=\"1861\" data-end=\"1884\"\u003eBilderbuch für Kinder\u003c\/em\u003e stands as a landmark in the development of modern illustrated non-fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1961\" data-end=\"2089\"\u003eThis set is particularly well suited to framing as a trio and works equally well in both traditional and contemporary interiors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2107\" data-end=\"2154\"\u003eArtist\u003cbr data-start=\"2113\" data-end=\"2116\"\u003eFriedrich Justin Bertuch (1747–1822)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2156\" data-end=\"2207\"\u003eTitle\u003cbr data-start=\"2161\" data-end=\"2164\"\u003eMarine Life Studies (Set of Three Plates)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2209\" data-end=\"2227\"\u003eDate\u003cbr data-start=\"2213\" data-end=\"2216\"\u003e1792–1810\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2229\" data-end=\"2264\"\u003eMedium\u003cbr data-start=\"2235\" data-end=\"2238\"\u003eHand-coloured engravings\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2266\" data-end=\"2363\"\u003eDimensions\u003cbr data-start=\"2276\" data-end=\"2279\"\u003eSheet: approx. 20.3 × 24.1 cm (8 × 9½ in) each\u003cbr data-start=\"2325\" data-end=\"2328\"\u003eImage: variable within plate mark\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2365\" data-end=\"2391\"\u003eOrigin\u003cbr data-start=\"2371\" data-end=\"2374\"\u003eWeimar, Germany\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2393\" data-end=\"2596\"\u003eCondition\u003cbr data-start=\"2402\" data-end=\"2405\"\u003eVery good overall. Light age toning, occasional minor spotting and edge wear consistent with late 18th-century paper. Colours remain strong and well preserved. Please review images carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4518\" data-end=\"4769\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Lumenrare Antique Prints \u0026 Maps","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57167180169599,"sku":"LR-BER-MARINE-1800-SET3","price":285.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0951\/8356\/9279\/files\/bertuch-marine-life-engravings-set-1792-1810-hand-coloured-octopus-jellyfish-shell-plates-5152503.jpg?v=1774064836","url":"https:\/\/lumenrare.com\/products\/bertuch-marine-engravings-set-octopus-jellyfish-shell","provider":"Lumenrare Antique Prints \u0026 Maps","version":"1.0","type":"link"}