Paleoart shapes the viewer’s perception of the prehistoric world in an instant. These images of extinct organisms are etched in our psyche and forever change our understanding of life on Earth. This is a fact that has been proven time and again by the visionaries who have pushed the boundaries of this unique combination of science and art.
Prior to 1830, art depicting the prehistoric world was practically unknown to the public. Sure, scientists had been swapping drawings depicting the life appearance of fossil animals since the start of the 19th Century, but for the masses, fossils were hardly more than fancy rocks, with no idea of what these ancient creatures may have looked like. This changed with the creation of Duria Antiquior - A More Ancient Dorset, by English geologist Henry De La Beche.
This watercolor painting depicts a menagerie of creatures populating a coastal sea, engaging in the primal battle for survival. Snake-necked reptiles struggle in the toothy jaws of the fish-like monsters patrolling the deep, while a pair of leathery-winged beasts duke it out in the sky above. Basing his piece on the marine and flying reptile fossils pulled from the limestone of Dorset, De La Beche constructed the very first scenic recreation of the ancient world that was grounded in known science.
The discoverer of these Jurassic aged vestiges of the past, Mary Anning, often struggled financially, and was thus restricted in her quest to uncover more fossils. To help fund her expeditions, De La Beche sold prints of his new painting and donated the proceeds to Anning. The painting was so popular with wealthy benefactors and science enthusiasts that it was reprinted and redrawn multiple times and helped keep Anning afloat until her next big discovery.
