Kunstformen der Natur

A beautiful copy of Ernst Haeckel's influential book on natural history that married art and science.

First complete book edition following the original edition in parts published from 1899-1904. With the 51-page supplement.

100 fine plates, some printed in colour, chromolithographed by Adolf Giltsch after sketches by Ernst Haeckel.

"First edition of this famous and marvelous work which had a considerable influence on decorative design in the Jugendstil and Art Nouveau period during the beginning of the 20th century and depicts fantastic, real forms and structures found in animal and plant life."

Many artists of the era, such as French glass designers Emile Galle and Rene Lalique, kept a copy of Haeckel's illustrations at home. French architect Rene Binet incorporated forms of Radiolarians in his work on the Porte Monumentale at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Dutch architect Henrick Petrus Berlage designed a chandelier based on Discomedusae jellyfish. German photographer Karl Blossfeld also explicitly referenced Haeckel in his work.

Some plates combine several printing techniques such as chromolithography and photographic reproduction.

Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) was a German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist, and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species.

Adolf Giltsch (1852-1911) was a master lithographer of Jena who collaborated with Haeckel on System Medusen (1879) and Kunstformen (1899).

Condition: Slight wear to the cloth binding, small stain to front cover, a few tissue guards missing, but interior and all plates bright and fresh. Final plate (antelopes) neatly tipped in.