I do recommend it to artists, naturalists, scientists, and anyone interested in the natural world and in art. Those who know about his embryo fakery (he reproduced the same woodcut print three times and claimed they depicted the embryos of three different animals) wouldn’t be surprised.

This last position he retained for 43 years, in spite of repeated invitations to migrate to more important centres, such as Strassburg or Vienna, and at Jena he spent his life, with the exception of the time he devoted to travelling in various parts of the world, whence in every case he brought back a rich zoological harvest. Indeed, until I was forced to sell it (a good offer was made and, after all I am a bookseller, I can't hang on to my favourite items forever and I managed a year with this one) it was hidden on my private shelf where I could look at it almost every day. Haeckel's portfolio, first published between 1899 and 1904 in separate installments, is described in the opening essays. There are some works based on corals that remind you immediately of the gene lamps of the oriental tales; the reproduction of the "ostracionte kafferfishe" is so majestic that it resembles some of the decorations in queens and kings crowns. René Binet, a pioneer of glass and iron constructions, Emile Gallé, a renowned Art Nouveau designer, and the photographer Karl Blossfeld all acknowledge and make explicit reference to Haeckel in their work.Among his monographs may be mentioned those on Radiolaria (1862), Siphonophora (1869), Monera (1870) and Calcareous Sponges (1872), as well as several Challenger reports, viz.

The introductory essays provided good background material as well, although it would have been nice to hear more of Haeckel's own voice. Among the notable prints are numerous radiolarians, which Haeckel helped to popularize among amateur microscopists; at least one example is found in almost every set of 10. I had heard of Ernst Haeckel back in high school, his art is exceptionally captivating - so when I saw this book at the library, I didn’t hesitate on taking it home.Haeckel recognized beauty in every aspect of nature, even the ones who could be perceived as scary or insignificant. Each page features a symmetrical arrangement of etchings of related species of various classes of organism. This collection of plates was not only well-received by scientists, but by artists and architects as well.