Pierre Dénys de Montfort (1766-1820),
desenho;
Étienne Claude Voysard (1746-1807), gravurista.
Esta gravura
icônica apareceu pela primeira vez na página 256 do segundo volume de “Histoire Naturelle Générale et Particulière
des Mollusques”, escrita por Montford e publicada em Paris em 1802.
O autor
criou esta ilustração baseado nas narrativas de marinheiros franceses que
tiveram seu navio estruído por um polvo gigantesco na costa de Angola.
Esta narrativa
e outras como a de uma armada inglesa de dez barcos de guerra que teria sido
atacada por outros destes monstros em 1782 arruinaram a carreira e credibilidade
científica de Montfort, mas hoje são vistas como as primeiras descrições de
contatos reais como, talvez, a lula gigante (Architeuthis dux) ou a lula colossal (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni).
Pierre Dénys de Montfort (1766-1820),
design;
Étienne Claude Voysard (1746-1807), engraver.
This iconic engraving was published for the first
time on page 256 from the second volume of “Histoire
Naturelle Générale et Particulière des Mollusques” by Montfort and
published in Paris, 1802.
It represents an attack to a three-masted sailing
ship by a giant octopus and is based on stories from French sailors who claimed
their vessel was attacked by a monstrous cephalopod off the coast of Angola.
This and other narratives like one about a fleet
of ten British warships that went missing in 1782 after being dragged
underwater by colossal octopuses destroyed Montfort's scientific
While his extreme theories were ridiculed at the
time, modern marine biology validates that encounters with genuine giants like
the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) or the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis
hamiltoni).
%20-%20Credulity.jpg)
%20-%20The%20altar%20boy,%20oil%20on%20canvas.jpg)
%20-%20Penitent%20Mary%20Magdalenes%20-%20ca.%201626%20-%20oil%20on%20canvas.%20Kimberly%20Art%20Museum,%20Forth%20Worth,%20TX.jpg)
,%201888.png)
%20-%20The%20Queen%20of%20Persia%20at%20the%20Feet%20of%20Alexander%20-%20ca.%201660%20-%20oil%20on%20canvas.%20Palace%20of%20Versailles,%20Paris,%20France.jpg)
%20-%20Alexander%20cuts%20the%20Gordian%20Knot.%20Staatliche%20Kunsthalle,%20Karlsruhe,%20Germany.jpg)
%20-%20The%20Amazon%20Queen,%20Thalestris,%20in%20the%20camp%20of%20Alexander%20the%20Great%20-%20oil%20on%20copper.jpg)
%20-%20Alexander%20cuts%20the%20Gordian%20Knot%20-%201767%20-%20oil%20on%20canvas.%20Mus%C3%A9e%20du%20Louvre.jpg)
%20-%20Alexander%20cuts%20the%20Gordian%20Knot%20-%20ca.%201767%20-%20oil%20on%20canvas.%20%C3%89cole%20nationale%20sup%C3%A9rieure%20des%20beaux-arts,%20Paris.JPG)
