C. Macrolepidotus
1819
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1819
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows a small, spiny fish with sharp fins floating against a pale background. The details—like the tiny scales and thin spines—are crisp and clear. Lesueur was a French naturalist who sketched sea creatures in the early 1800s. He often worked in ink and etching to share his findings with scientists and collectors. Look up this artist next: Lesueur, Charles Alexandre.
