Basilisk - Friedrich Justin Bertuch, 1806. (Mythical Creature Art Print)
This vintage art print shows a basilisk resting in a simple landscape. The creature has a serpent-like body with small legs, a raised head and a long tail that curves behind it, all drawn with clear lines and soft color on a warm parchment style background. The scene feels calm rather than loud or violent, so it works well in a study, reading corner or bedroom where you want something a bit strange and mythical without it taking over the whole space.
About this art print
This print is based on an illustration by Friedrich Justin Bertuch, a German publisher known for his Bilderbuch für Kinder, a picture book for children that gathered images of animals, plants, machines and legendary creatures in the early 1800s. The basilisk appears there as one of the more dangerous “wonder” animals, a creature from old stories that was said to kill with its look or its breath.
Bertuch keeps the pose simple so you can read the shape at a glance. The basilisk is shown from the side, with the head raised just enough to show the eye and mouth, and the body stretched out along a strip of ground. Light shading suggests scales and muscle without making the drawing too heavy. The low horizon and sky are only hinted at, which keeps the focus on the creature itself. He uses the same calm, almost textbook style in other mythical animals, such as his dragon, which gives them all a similar, measured feel rather than a wild fantasy look.
Craft & finish
This antique basilisk art print is made on hand processed paper, highlighted with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax so it feels close to real parchment when you hold it. The surface catches the light softly on the texture of the paper, but colors can look a little different from screen to screen.
You can find more pieces like this in our Vintage Art Prints collection.
Basilisk (Friedrich Justin Bertuch, 1806.) - Vintage Art Print
In case your print creases during the travel, as it usually does travel for some time, you can safely warm it up with a hair-dryer, and the wax will melt back right into it. You can also use a lighter, which is a much faster method, but be careful to keep the flame either above the paper or parallel to it (which means holding the paper vertically) so it doesn't smudge or even catch fire. The chance of the print actually creasing is very small, as they are rolled in bubble-wrap and shipped in a cardboard box. Also, be sure to keep the print out of the direct sunlight, as it can melt or fade.
Visit the link below to see more about how our replicas are made, how to display them, and repair the damage:
https://www.artifex-replicas.com/post/about-our-parchment-replicas
