The Sucking Fish (Echeneis Naucratis)
1737
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1737
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
You see a fish with a flat head and long body, clinging to the side of a ship. Its body is dark brown with stripes, fins spread wide. The ship’s wood looks rough under the fish’s grip. This isn’t just a fish study. The artist, Mark Catesby, spent years in the Americas, sketching plants and animals. He made these prints to teach people back home about new species. The hand coloring makes the fish look almost alive. Want to see more like this? Look up the artist Mark Catesby.
