Les Monstres Marins, or Sea Monsters, is an exploration of the truths and legends of various sea creatures. Landrin explains that the word “monster” does not imply deformity, but rather the evocation of surprise and the stimulation of one’s imagination (pg. 4). A segment of this text is devoted to the narwhal. Landrin illustrates this chapter with this historic representation of the sea unicorn, reproduced from Pierre de la Martiniere’s engraving from 1661.
Les Monstres Marins
Armand Landrin
Paris: Hachette et Cie, 1870
Engraving
Special Collections, Providence Athenaeum