Portugese-man-of-war: by-the-wind-sailor: jellyfish
The by-the-wind-sailor (Velella velella) and Portugese-man-of-war (Physalia physaila) are both jellyfish common to the UK’s coasts and can often be found washed up on the shore. This drawing by PH Gosse was probably used as a teaching aid in lectures.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 809/1997/68
- Category
- Fine Art
- Collection Class
- Drawings
- Medium
- coloured chalks on 2 sheets of paper painted black (one stuck down on top of the other)
- Common Name
- Portugese-man-of-war: by-the-wind-sailor: jellyfish
- Simple Name
- drawing
- Inscription Transcription
- Drawings of two Jelly fish often found in the Mediterranean. The upper and larger figure shows the well known Portugese man of war, one of the most beautiful and most dangerous of these animals. A large oval air bladder floats at the surface, and from it hang rows of variously modified polyps and long trailing tentacles. The latter are stiff with batteries of stinging cells, which cause intense pain and inflammation if brought into contact with the bare skin. The smaller jelly fish called Velella is in the shape of an irregualr oval disc surmounted by a sloping comb which acts as a sail. The polys hang down from the under surface of the disc. These animals often occur in swarms. Drawings by the late Philip Henry Gosse FRS.; i Physalia ii Velella; 6N Bottom
- Period Classification
- Victorian (1837-1901)
- Production Town
- Production County
- Devon
- Production Country
- United Kingdom: England
- Production Person Initials
- Philip Henry
- Production Person Surname
- Gosse
- Production Year Low
- 1850
- Production Year High
- 1880
