Plate 25: Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse, Other Wrasse, a Swallowtail Sea Perch(?), Several "Anthiae," and Other Fish c. 1575 - 1580

Editor: We're looking at Plate 25: Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse, Other Wrasse, a Swallowtail Sea Perch(?), Several "Anthiae," and Other Fish, a watercolor and ink drawing created around 1575-1580 by Joris Hoefnagel. I'm struck by the almost scientific quality of the work, like an early field guide illustration. The detail is incredible! What’s your take on this fantastical fishbowl? Curator: Ah, Hoefnagel! A man after my own heart. You’re right, there’s a scientific spirit at play. But look closer, past the detail. It's more than observation; it's almost an *invention* of the natural world. Those colours, that precise line work... it feels almost dreamlike, doesn’t it? Tell me, what kind of story do these fish tell *you*? Editor: A story? I suppose they feel a bit trapped, circling in that contained space. The precision is almost sterile, taking away from any sense of wildness or freedom. Curator: Trapped, yes, perhaps like knowledge itself being neatly categorized. Yet, isn’t there a beauty in that constraint? A jewel box containing imagined treasures from the sea? Consider that inscription above the image; doesn’t it suggest an anecdote? A fleeting snapshot of a natural phenomenon, captured and examined? It’s like the artist is trying to pin down something inherently unfixed, imbuing it with vibrant personality. Editor: I see what you mean! It's both an observation and an interpretation, trying to capture something beyond pure realism. The sterile precision does highlight those bright colours. Curator: Exactly! It’s the artist wrestling with nature, isn't it? We try to catalogue the natural world so neatly, but art has a habit of escaping those boxes. Now, next time you see a fish, remind yourself to view it as Hoefnagel may have – part-specimen, part-jewel, entirely mysterious. Editor: That's such a new lens. Thanks! It completely reframes how I'm now going to view all scientific illustration going forward.