Microscopic worlds of Ernst Haeckel

I remember coming across 'Art Forms in Nature' by Ernst Haeckel while researching for project in KMC (NID's Knowledge Management Centre, simply put a library).

A German Philosopher, Naturalist, Biologist, Teacher and ardent believer of Darwin’s ideas, he is also credited for coining many terms still being used to date (Ecology, Phylum, World War I, etc. ). Although he had published multiple books, journals over the course of his lifetime, by far the most fascinating are the captivating illustrations of the subject of this post, his landmark work, Kunstformen der Natur . Better known as ‘Art Forms in Nature’, it was published in ten parts between 1899 and 1904 and later published in two volumes.

Created during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his meticulous drawings, sketches and watercolours transport you to a world of sea creatures and microscopic wonderland.

Have a look:

Cnidarians (Art Forms in Nature), 1899-1904, Plate 8

Cnidarians and Siphonophores (Art Forms in Nature), 1899-1904, Plate 17

Crustaceans (Art Forms in Nature), 1899 -1904, Plate 56

Monograph of the Medusae, Vol I, 1879, Plate I

Atlas of Calcareous Sponges, 1872, Plate 18