The Lesser-Known Scientific Art of Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg

Abstract

. Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg (1795-1876) is renowned for pioneering work on microscopic organisms. His fame is based mainly on his two beautifully illustrated monographic works. The first was the 1838 monograph on living microorganisms 'Infusoria' with 64 plates, and the second in 1854, Mikrogeologie with 41 plates showing the remains of microorganisms in minerals and sedimentary deposits. Largely due to these two major works, Ehrenberg is recognized as a founder of protistology on one hand and micropaleontology on the other. The illustrations in Ehrenberg's two monographs are well known but they represent less than half the plates contained in his works and many of Ehrenberg's publications did not concern microorganisms, living or fossil. Here are shown the lesser-known scientific illustrations, revealing the surprisingly wide range of his scientific investigations and consequently his artwork. Following a biographical sketch of Ehrenberg's life, to place in perspective his works, a selection of these scientific illustrations are presented. The illustrations are drawn from his articles and pamphlets published from 1818 to 1859. Later publications all concerned protists, and contain illustrations thought to be likely the work of his daughter Clara who acted as his essential aide when he became physically diminished in old age.