Exotic Fishes Far From the Sea. (Re-)Presentations of Maritime Creatures in 18th-century Germany Natural Collections
Dorothee Fischer (Trier)
Dorothee Fischer’s dissertation project focuses on natural history collections of 18th-century in Germany. With examining written descriptions, fish taxidermies as well as two-dimensional illustrations of their conspecifics in print and illustrated volumes, the art historian’s interdisciplinary project aims to illuminate three different (pictorial) levels:
(1) Early modern animal preservations (dried and wet specimens) as aesthetic objects and traces of the living animals,
(2) the relations between collectors, fish illustrations and conserved specimens,
and, thus, (3) Fishes as objects of collection and their role in producing ichthyological knowledge in the 18th century.
Contact: Dorothee Fischer