Nationality
American
Artist Dates
1882-1961
Preview
Medium
Book illustration
Height
8"
Width
5 3/4"
Collection/Provenance
Art & Design Study Collection: James Smith Pierce Collection
Status
Stored: 211A, JSP Box 11
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
Else Bostelmann studied at the University of Leipzig and the Grand Ducal Academy in Weimar. After gaining some notoriety for her art, Bostelmann married in 1909 and then immigrated to America where she put her art on hold and began research on natural history for ten years. This shaped her path in life, providing an opportunity for her to attend a zoological expedition as the artist to draw what they found. The over 300 pieces of art that Bostelmann created on that expedition proved to be invaluable, as they had discovered several new species (including the first sight of a giant squid that could not be confirmed until 2012 with video footage) as well as the phenomenon of deep-sea bioluminescence. Bostelmann’s main art form was watercolor.
Additional Information
A double-sided book illustration reproduction of the painting done by E. Bostelmann.
Giant Parrotfish Migrate into the Depths quote, "A mile off Bermuda and forty feet down, a school of thousands pf Giant Blue Parrotfish (Scarus caeruleus) passed the author's window in the Bathysphere, headed for the outer, cooler depths of the sea."
Swivel-Toothed Dragonfish Pursuing Luminescent Squids (not pictured) quote, "The squids were taken from the stomach of this deep-sea gourmand (Omosudis lowi), so the action in this painting actually occurred a mile down beneath the surface."
Condition
Good.
Condition Notes
Some discoloration on edges.
Rights
Images are provided for educational purposes only and may not be reproduced for commercial use. Images may be protected by artist copyright. A credit line is required to be used for any public non-commercial educational purpose. The credit line must include, “Image courtesy of the University of North Dakota.”