Fish in Art
Christine E. Jackson
From frescos found at Pompeii to the Old Masters, Turner and Van Gogh, fish have inspired artists for thousands of years. Yet the social and cultural significance of fishes’ representation in art has been overlooked. In this new study Christine E. Jackson remedies this deficiency, exploring the evolution of the depiction of fishes from 2000 BC to the present day, relating the images to their historical contexts.
In the sea, at the market, on the kitchen table: Fish in Art examines the diverse ways fishes have been presented by artists and what these images tell us about the catching, storage, preparation and cooking of fish over the centuries. The author analyses the economic, political and religious factors that engaged these artists, such as the rise and fall of ports across the world, the legacy of the Cod Wars and the various sacred decrees on the eating of fish. She considers the physical conditions and ethics of fishing, and the developments in the canning, ice and salt industries that continue today.
Fish in Art provides an original and unique perspective on the impact of fishes and the fishing industry on art and will capture the interest of fishermen, natural historians and art students alike.
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About Christine E. Jackson
Reviews for Fish in Art
Country Life
Fish as objects and themes in art/artistic representation have a history of 4,000-plus years. Although this attractively illustrated work focuses on two-dimensional representations of fish in European art from antiquity to the present, it also offers engaging discussions of the significance of fish/fishing in European political history,economies, religions, and diets. Recommended.
Choice
Fish have historically proved slippery subjects for artists—and not just for the obvious reasons. Until recently, fish couldnt be photographed in their native environments, and artists had to rely on cloudy memories of seeing them underwater. Similarly, a still life with a caught creature had to be completed swiftly, before the specimen rotted. Naturalist Christine Jacksons Fish in Art uses nearly 200 images of fish—ranging from ancient Egyptian wall works to 21st-century photorealist paintings—to illustrate their religious, social, political, and economic significance.
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