Haeckel Blue Medusae Suite – Original 19th-Century Jellyfish Lithographs (Diptych)

Before Kunstformen der Natur: The Scientific Origins of an Icon

This exceptional curated suite brings together three original lithographs from Ernst Haeckel’s monumental scientific work Das System der Medusen (1879) — plates that appear to anticipate, and visually resonate with, some of the marine forms later celebrated in his internationally renowned Kunstformen der Natur.

Rather than decorative reinterpretations, these are scientific originals: lithographs created during Haeckel’s direct study of jellyfish morphology, printed in the nineteenth century and bearing the credit “E. Haeckel del.” on the plate — an important indication of Haeckel’s own artistic involvement in the observation and rendering of these extraordinary marine organisms.

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A Curated Suite of Three Medusae Plates

Together, the three plates form an unusually coherent visual ensemble. Displayed as a group, they reveal the transition between scientific observation and aesthetic vision, offering a rare opportunity to experience the intellectual and visual world from which Haeckel’s later artistic imagery emerged.

• Taf. XXX – Desmonema
• Taf. XXXI – Polybostricha
• Taf. XXXII – Floscula / Floresca

Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

With their flowing tentacles, radial symmetry and extraordinary biological architecture, these works possess an aesthetic power that feels strikingly modern. The suite moves from warm amber and coral tones to refined marine blue, creating a sophisticated visual rhythm across the three plates.

The ensemble is especially compelling because it allows the viewer to read Haeckel’s visual language before its later transformation into the more decorative world of Kunstformen der Natur. Here, the beauty emerges from scientific observation itself: anatomical structure, classification and morphology become a form of visual poetry.

As a group, the three lithographs are particularly suited to a collector’s study, a design-led interior, a private gallery wall or a cabinet of curiosities. This grouping is offered as a curated museum-grade suite and is available only as a set.

About the Work

Das System der Medusen, published in Jena in 1879, is one of Haeckel’s most important scientific works devoted to jellyfish. It predates Kunstformen der Natur by around two decades and belongs to the period in which Haeckel was developing the marine forms, anatomical structures and visual ideas that would later help define his broader artistic legacy.

The presence of the plate credit “E. Haeckel del.” gives these lithographs particular significance within Prantique’s collection: they are not merely later decorative prints after Haeckel, but original nineteenth-century scientific plates directly linked to his observational and artistic practice. 

Condition Report

Very good to excellent antique condition. Printed on original nineteenth-century paper, with age-appropriate toning, occasional light spotting and minor signs of handling consistent with scientific works of this period. Each plate retains its authentic paper character and original printed credits. Please examine the photographs carefully, as the suite is composed of three genuine nineteenth-century impressions, each with its own individual signs of age and preservation.

Details

• Work: Das System der Medusen
• Artist / Author: Ernst Haeckel
• Plate credit: “E. Haeckel del.”
• Date: 1879
• Technique: Original 19th-century lithographs
• Publisher: Gustav Fischer, Jena
• Lithography: Lith. Anst. v. F. Giltsch, Jena
• Included plates: Taf. XXX – Desmonema; Taf. XXXI – Polybostricha; Taf. XXXII – Floscula / Floresca
• Sheet size: approx. 35 × 27.5 cm each
• Sold as: Curated suite of three original lithographs