The Drawings of G. O. Sars

Drawings of Wildlife as an Educational Tool

by Ted Beringer

Long before photography had been invented and its technology improved, artists were essential for rendering visual images of their discoveries. Artists accompanied many explorers on their expeditions around the world to record geography and newly discovered plants and animals. Even after photography became available for this purpose, it did not always provide the speed or detail that it does today. Those scientifically trained and artistically skilled individuals who contributed to our knowledge of wildlife were a combination of scientist and artist. They produced drawings, paintings and etchings that captured the scientific accuracy as well as the aesthetic of their subjects. One example of this skill is the art work of George Ossian Sars whose anatomical drawings were published in 1896 in his text Fauna Norvegiae. Although he was a Norwegian, his subject matter of crustaceans such as the fairy shrimp is found throughout Kansas in Vernal pools. It has been highlighted as one of “featured creatures” on the Kansas Wildlife Federation website http://www.kswildlife.org/ww/fairy-shrimp/

Compare the photo there with this drawing by Sars. The drawing captures both the biological detail as well as the beauty of this creature that is near the bottom of the food chain in Kansas and a very important food source for fish and birds. You can view Sars’ Fauna Norvegiae at the Biodiversity Heritage Library and download any of the drawings (They are near the back of the book). You can print and frame them if you like.