The 79th
lithographic plate from
Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (1904) depicts a variety of lizards, or
Lacertilia. In terms of evolutionary relationships, these eight lizards demonstrate the diversity of the suborder Lacertilia, which has been replaced by an array of new
suborders and infraorders in recent classifications. Unusual species of
chameleon and
gonocephalus are at the top; the second row has a
flying dragon and a
Texas horned lizard; the third row has a
flying gecko and a
common basilisk; on the bottom row are the aptly named
frill-necked lizard and the
Thorny Devil. As in many of Haeckel's prints, the colors and spatial composition are more of an aesthetic choice than a reproduction of nature; the lithographer Adolf Glitsch worked directly from Haeckel's sketches rather than from first-hand specimens.
(Olaf Breidbach (2004): Visions of Nature: The Art and Science of Ernst Haeckel. Prestel, New York, USA.)
Full text description (in German):
Date
Source
Kunstformen der Natur (1904), plate 79: Lacertilia (see
here,
here and
here)
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