Ernst Haeckel
Every now and then I have to sit back and re-marvel at Ernst Haeckel’s work.
Even the first part of his brief Wiki biography is mind-blowing: biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, and coined many terms in biology, including anthropogeny, ecology, phylum, phylogeny, and the kingdom Protista.
(Apologies to anyone who thought they were having a productive day and just got knocked down a few pegs)
I don’t think I could ever look at the staggering beauty with which he depicts the natural world and not be utterly awestruck.
Nature itself is perhaps the greatest artist, but it takes a phenomenally talented human being to represent it with such masterful technique.
I was actually stunned to recently discover that I don’t have any books of Haeckel’s work. Any recommendations? I’d also like to seek out a few choice prints.
SheWalksSoftly 
May 19, 2011 at 7:12 pm
Working on a film right now using his work.
May 19, 2011 at 10:39 pm
Liesje, please don’t let this film slip through the cracks for me in any way. Link me to it, post about it…make sure I see it so I can share and post it too! I’m psyched. 🙂
May 22, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Of course! Research stage at the moment but will soon begin construction.
May 20, 2011 at 1:44 pm
Amazing stuff.
May 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Isn’t it? I never tire of going back to it.
May 20, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Hi Dana,
You might be interested in this movie:
http://www.amazon.com/Proteus-Ernst-Haeckel/dp/B001B2U1B4/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1305912749&sr=1-1
Also are you familiar with Rudolf Leuckart?
http://www.mblwhoilibrary.org/exhibits/leuckart/wall_charts/plates_1_30.html
May 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm
That movie is number 2 on my Netflix queue right now! And I absolutely love Leuckart’s work! I almost included him in the Haeckel post. Thanks for being so in tune with my aesthetic preferences. 🙂
May 23, 2011 at 2:34 pm
The Proteus movie will appeal to your good sense of taste in this too, I think. It seems like I remember seeing some of Leuckart’s charts in high school biology class but can’t be sure. Certainly fits the scenario anyway.
Thanks for your entertaining and interesting blog. Glad you made it through the “rapture” 🙂 …wasn’t that a Blondie song…?
May 23, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Damn, I forgot about the Blondie song! That would have been a great addition to my post on Saturday!
May 24, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Well, apparently now the date has been revised and so you’ll have another chance around Oct. 21st…crazy!
May 24, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Hahaha…I just heard about that. Don’t you hate it when the end of the world is just LATE showing up? So rude.
August 12, 2011 at 4:20 pm
How do I buy one of his posters?
August 13, 2011 at 1:32 am
These images are not all posters taken from one site, but I’d imagine some would turn up if you search “Ernst Heackel” on http://www.allposters.com.
January 20, 2023 at 5:33 am
The Mystical Qabalah
Ernst Haeckel | SheWalksSoftly