The fishes in the images are part of a genus that includes groupers. They are likely from "Strack: Naturgeschichte in Bildern", that refers to a work on natural history by Strack, and the date "1819" indicates the publication year.
In these prints, the groupers are depicted in a detailed manner characteristic of the scientific and artistic approach of the early 19th century. During this period, illustrations were a primary method for documenting and sharing information on various species. Given the date and the method of illustration, these images were likely part of an early effort to catalog and describe marine life in detail for both scientific and educational purposes.
The title "Naturgeschichte in Bildern," which translates to "Natural History in Pictures," suggests that the work aimed to visually convey the diversity of the natural world, a common objective of natural history publications of that era. These illustrations serve as a historical record and are valuable for their scientific significance as well as their artistry.
There are hand-written notes in French, in an early 19th century style, likely naming the fish.
The prints are protected by a light paper matting. The measerements are of the prints itself, not including the matting.
Bartele Gallery. Original antique maps, sea charts, engravings and works on paper. This is a plain text rendering of a page that is otherwise built in the browser. The catalogue index is at https://www.bartele.net/catalogue and machine readable notes are at https://www.bartele.net/llms.txt.