Salviani's Aqvatilivm Animalivm (1554)
Ippolito Salviani, 1514-1572. Aqvatilivm Animalivm Historiae Liber Primvs. Rome, 1554.
This was the first iconography of fishes to appear with copper engraved plates, the accuracy and beauty of which surpass any figures in the field of natural history published in the next 100 years. Salviani (1514-1572) was personal physician to Julius III, Paul IV, and Cardinal Cervini. The later encouraged and financially supported this work, which describes 92 species of Mediterranean fishes, obtained in the Roman fish markets. This superbly produced work was printed on Salvani's own printing press. The fish, drawn by Bernardus Aretinus and engraved by Nicolas Beatrizet, surpass in beauty those of Rondelet, Gesner, and Belon.