Seal Engraving

I have a small collection of natural history engravings. These antique prints are a combination of a few of my favorite things: nature, art, and intaglio printmaking. I was going through my flat files yesterday and came across my little collection. I have been working on another batch of watercolors for the Sebastian Foster site, and was nosing around for some inspiration. This is a very old book engraving of a seal that someone had given to me and my husband as a gift some years ago. I've always loved it. It's delicately hand painted with watercolor. There is a richness to the line quality in an etching and engraving that can be found in no other traditional medium. This print has that richness, as well as some charming archaic rendering of the seal and its watery surroundings.