num_pages: 704
description: IN A NUTSHELLMicrobial marvels Ernst Haeckel the 19th-century pioneer who captured the artistic beauty of the natural world Ernst Haeckel (1834 1919) was a German-born biologist naturalist evolutionist artist philosopher and doctor who spent his life researching flora and fauna from the highest mountaintops to deepest ocean. A vociferous supporter and developer of Darwin s theories of evolution he denounced religious dogma abandoned an early career in medicine authored philosophical treatises gained a doctorate in zoology and coined scientific terms which have passed into common usage including ecology phylum and stem cell. Haeckel s colossal legacy has fascinated confounded and polarized generations. But what was at the heart of his extraordinary life s work? Rather like his intellectual forebear Alexander von Humboldt Haeckel was motivated not only to discover but also to explain. To do this he created hundreds of detailed drawings watercolors and sketches of his findings which he published in successive volumes during the 20th century including several marine organism collections and the majestic Kunstformen der Natur (Art Forms in Nature) which could serve as the cornerstone of Haeckel s entire life project. Like a meticulous visual encyclopedia of living things Haeckel s work was as remarkable for its graphic precision and meticulous shading as for its understanding of organic evolution and cellular development. From bats to the box jellyfish lizards to lichen and spider legs to sea anemones he emphasized the essential symmetries and order of nature and found biological beauty in even the most unlikely of creatures. The prints not only furthered the study of natural history but also influenced generations of 20th-century artists and architects from the emerging proponents of Art Nouveau to architects such as Hendrik Petrus Berlage whose Amsterdam Commodities Exchange was inspired by Haeckel s illustrations. In this book we celebrate the scientific artistic and environmental importance of Haeckel s work with a collection of prints from several of his most important tomes on marine biology including Die Radiolarien Monographie der Medusen Die Kalkschwamme: eine Monographie and Kunstformen der Natur. At a time when biodiversity is increasingly threatened by human activities the book is at once a visual masterwork an underwater exploration and a vivid reminder of the precious variety of life.Text in English French and German.CONTRIBUTORSThe AuthorsRainer Willmann holds a chair in zoology at Gttingen University is director of its Zoological Museum and is cofounder of its Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research. A specialist in phylogenetics and evolution he conducts research into biodiversity and its history.Julia Voss studied German literature art history and philosophy at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universitt in Freiburg at the Humboldt-Universitt in Berlin and at Goldsmiths College in London. Her doctoral dissertation on visual representations of Darwinian evolution theory received the Otto Hahn Medal from the Max Planck Society. She is Deputy Editor of the Feuilleton and co-Editor of the Fine Arts section for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.PRODUCT DETAILSThe Art and Science of Ernst HaeckelRainer Willmann Julia VossHardcover 28.5 x 39.5 cm 704 pagesISBN 978-3-8365-2646-3Multilingual Edition: English French German
language: English
title: The Art & Science of Ernst Haeckel
publisher: TASCHEN