Polyzoa VII
1885-1890
Frederick McCoy invites us into the microscopic weirdness of the ocean with this 1880s scientific plate. These strange, helmet-shaped forms and trailing tentacles aren't aliens, but Polyzoa (bryozoans), tiny colonial animals that build hard shells. The precise ink lines break down their anatomy into cross-sections and full views, looking like a blueprint for biological robots or jellyfish in armor. Created between 1885 and 1890, this illustration captures the Victorian obsession with cataloging nature, turning dry biological data into a strangely beautiful, grid-like composition.
- Technique
- Ink drawing
- Material
- Paper
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