Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms in Nature

First published in 1904 under the German title Kunstformen der Natur, this unique collection of plates holds a lasting influence in both the art and science worlds. Ernst Haeckel’s detailed illustrations serve as a visual encyclopaedia for his pioneering research and anatomical discoveries. Working in both pencil and watercolour paint, he preserved the complex forms, patterns, and structures of the organisms he discovered. Featuring intricate depictions of various land and sea life, this volume serves a scientific purpose while boasting exceptional aesthetic beauty.
As a proud addition to the Art Meets Science collection, Read & Co. Books has faithfully reproduced Haeckel’s innovative work. Taking care to conserve the original detail, shapes, and colours as they were printed on initial publication, this beautiful volume recaptures the magic of Art Forms in Nature for a new generation to enjoy.

‘Surrounding nature offers us everywhere a marvellous wealth of lovely and interesting objects of all kinds. In every bit of moss and blade of grass, in every beetle and butterfly, we find, when we examine it carefully, beauties which are usually overlooked. Above all, when we examine them with a powerful glass or, better still, with a good microscope, we find everywhere in nature a new world of inexhaustible charms.’ – Ernst Haeckel, The Riddle of the Universe at the Close of the Nineteenth Century (1899)