May 30, 2026, 11:38 AM

The 1859 artwork ‘Ocean Life’ gives a wonderful impression of the real-life complexity which few humans then had the chance to see; Helen Scales describes some of its 75 species. For those of us looking out for #IconicFishes, a #seahorse & #cornetfish stand out. 🧵 3/

#OceanArt #HelenScales #SeaLife

An underwater scene teeming with varied life, painted in watercolour for by Christian Schussele for the ‘Ocean Life’ book and lithograph by James Sommerville, 1859. Metropolitan Museum of Art.