frogs and lizards and hummingbirds, oh my

[incandescens]

Why weren't more Art Nouveau pictures of men? Yes, I know, obvious answer, it wasn't what the art style was about. But it would still have been useful for some current plans.

But doing some art research online does broaden my nodding acquaintance with various artists and pictures, and introduces me to some completely new stuff. Like this -- Kunstformen der Natur (German for Art Forms of Nature), a book of lithographic and autotype prints by German biologist Ernst Haeckel. Frogs. Lizards. Hummingbirds. They're gorgeous.

(Though possibly not that many other people would be considering getting fabric made up in those designs and making cushions or quilts. Then again, maybe they would.)

---

The Twelve Moons

[...]

Fourth Moon

Cool at dusk and dawn are the trees on the earth.
In depths of green a thousand mountains hover beneath the clouds.
The faint-scented rain falls among evil mists.
Teeming leaves and round flowers shine on the curved garden gates.
In the stone ponds the water shakes off leisurely green ripples.
So heavy is this summer the blossoms are not surprised to fall.
Faded red flowers on the earth glow in the shade of the trees.

[...]

-- Li Ho, translated by Ho Chih-yuan

Comments

[avalonjones.livejournal.com]

Oh! Some years back, Kagenami and I bought some frameable art that looked very similar to that--the dealer told us they were plates from a book. I think we have a color version of the antelopes picture in the Wiki article.

The picture of the jellyfish would make a wonderful tattoo!

[incandescens]

It would, yes! And the plates would make wonderful frameable art, I totally agree.