ABSTRACT
Joseph Wolf, a pioneering natural history artist in nineteenth-century Britain, pursued his art according to the following maxim: “We see distinctly only what we know thoroughly”.1 Hence, Wolf’s vivid water-colours, drawings and oil paintings were based on the meticulous observation of animal life and behaviour. The wisdom of this adage seems justifi ed, but it also leads one to question what happens when something previously unknown is fi rst viewed. How can it be seen, described and represented?
