Johann Jakob Scheuchzer

These stunning baroque engravings are by Johann Jakob Scheuchzer. He made them between 1731 to 1735. They are the pinnacle of engraving in the baroque period.
Scheuchzer was a Swiss scholar born in Zürich in 1672. He was a multi-talented visionary, bordering on genius. He was at the forefront of efforts to provide a scientific understanding of the world and the bible. For example, he thought fossils were skeletons left over after the biblical flood of Noah.
Scheuchzer became junior town physician in 1696. In 1710 he became professor of mathematics. He created several fascinating works including studies of Switzerland, weather, geology and fossils.
"Physica Sacra" was by far his most intriguing and visionary work. Physcia Sacra sought to reconcile the bible with science. The illustrations show scenes with biblical and scientific motifs. They were based on his own natural history cabinet and other famous European cabinets of rare specimens. Scheuzer entrusted the designs to Johann Melchior Füssli and the elaborate borders to Johann Daniel Preissler. They were engraved by highly skilled engravers including Georg Daniel Heumann and Johann August Corvinus.
Christies Auction House in London stated: "In Scheuchzer's gigantic work, Physica sacra, the Baroque attains, philosophically as well as artistically, its high point and its conclusion".
Here are some of the Physica Sacra engravings for you to choose from. They are genuine antiques prints from the 1730s and have hand painted colouring.