Bloch — Toothed Gilt-Head Folio Plate c.1786
Bloch — Toothed Gilt-Head Folio Plate c.1786
This plate depicts the Toothed Gilt-Head — a species of the Sparus family marked by its distinctive dentition. Bloch's commitment to scientific accuracy combined with the plate's decorative qualities — the iridescent scales, the natural posture — make this one of the finest examples of late 18th-century ichthyological illustration.
About Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799)
Marcus Elieser Bloch was a German-Jewish physician and naturalist who turned to ichthyology late in life after establishing his medical practice in Berlin. He collected specimens from around the world through a network of correspondents and described over 200 species of fish — many for the first time in scientific literature.
About the Work
Ichthyologie, ou Histoire Naturelle Générale et Particulière des Poissons was published in Berlin by the author and F. de la Garde between 1785 and 1797. The work contains 432 hand-colored folio engravings, many heightened with gold, silver, and bronze pigments to reproduce the metallic sheen of fish scales. Plate names appear in Latin, French, English, and German. Bonhams' catalogers call it "possibly the most beautiful book on fishes ever published" (Dance, p.56); Nissen describes it as "the finest illustrated work on fishes ever produced."
Scarcity & Market Context
Complete Ichthyologie sets (12 volumes in 6) are exceedingly rare and have sold at Bonhams and Christie's in the $40,000–$80,000+ range. Individual hand-colored folio plates appear regularly at specialist dealers — George Glazer Gallery has offered examples at $575 each; Trillium and Arader Galleries at $350–$700 each depending on subject. Plates with silver and gold heightening command the highest prices. The work is a benchmark of 18th-century European scientific illustration.
Institutional Holdings
Complete copies at the British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Smithsonian Libraries, and the Arader Galleries collections. Burghley House once held a copy with provenance inscription.
Dimensions
Sheet approximately 10.5 × 17 inches; plate mark approximately 8 × 14.75 inches
Frame: This piece ships unframed — the sheet or plate only. We can recommend framers in your area or ship to your preferred framer. Professional framing with archival materials typically runs $150–$400 depending on size and finish.
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