Gustav von Hayek Fish Journal — Zoological Atlas 1887 Austro-Hungarian Chromolithograph

In the second half of the nineteenth century, the great natural history atlases of Europe were encyclopaedias of the visible world — systematic, exhaustive, and extraordinarily beautiful. When Gustav von Hayek illustrated the fish plates for the Wielki atlas do zoologii, botaniki i mineralogii in 1887, he captured aquatic life with a scientific precision and chromatic mastery that no photograph of the era could match.

The front cover reproduces Plate 044 and the back cover Plate 045 from the Wielki atlas do zoologii, botaniki i mineralogii (Grand Atlas of Zoology, Botany, and Mineralogy), illustrated by Austrian naturalist Gustav von Hayek (1836–1911) and published in 1887. The plates present a remarkable diversity of fish species — freshwater and marine, tropical and temperate — each rendered with meticulous attention to anatomy, coloration, and character in the chromolithographic tradition of Austro-Hungarian natural history illustration at its finest.

Product Details

• Format: Hardcover journal
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: 100 g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print
• Note: small production barcode (0.5" × 0.5") on back cover

Perfect For

• Lovers of natural history illustration and Victorian zoological art
• Admirers of Austro-Hungarian science and the great 19th-century atlases
• Aquarium enthusiasts, marine biologists, and ichthyology students
• Divers, snorkelers, and ocean lovers documenting aquatic life
• Thoughtful gift for naturalists, collectors, and lovers of rare illustrated books
• Anyone captivated by the beauty and diversity of fish in the natural world

Read the story of Gustav von Hayek, the Wielki atlas, and the Austro-Hungarian tradition of natural history on our blog: Colour from the Deep.