Haeckel, E.
Kunstformen der Natur. Plate 44. Ammonites - Ammonitida - Ammonshörner [Ammonites]
Leipzig and Wien, Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, 1901. Folio-sized sheet, printed on one side (36.3 x 27.3 cm). Halftone print with printed overlay.
A very fine plate, showing the amazing architecture, outside and inside, of this extinct group of shelled cephalopods. All are finely drawn by the author. Ernst Haeckel, a gifted artist, keen observer, and great zoologist, was the first to explore the riches of nature in forms, shapes, textures, and ornaments. This highly influenced the Art Nouveau and Jugendstil movements in the fine and applied arts. The ammonites once were the leading group of molluscs in all oceans and seas. The great dying at the end of the Cretaceous period did not only mark the end of the dinosaurs, but also of this group of wonderful animals. This plate gives some fine examples. Small spot in the right margin, faint small spots in the margins, otherwise a very good, clean copy, with the printing delicate, yet strong.