Perca venenosa &c., The Rock-Fish. (1754)

Mark Catesby is the artist behind "Perca venenosa &c., The Rock-Fish.", dated 1754. Plants & Animals, a short history: Images of plants and animals are valued both for the care of their observation and for their decorative appeal. Images of plants and animals run from medieval herbals and bestiaries to the scientific illustration of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. About the period around 1754: The Enlightenment and the habit of the Grand Tour fed a wider interest in science, travel, antiquity, and natural history, and illustrators accompanied many expeditions. In Japan, ukiyo-e woodblock printing flourished in the Edo period and made colour prints a popular and affordable art form. The catalogue places it in Plants & Animals. The format is landscape.

Buying "Perca venenosa &c., The Rock-Fish." means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Flora and fauna subjects make an interior feel softer and more alive, adding a natural rhythm that works well in both traditional and contemporary spaces. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

English, 1683–1749

If you like the visual language of Mark Catesby, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.