Aquatic Biodiversity in Art (BiodivAquArt) is a study in historical ecology, aimed at gaining a better understanding of the evolution of aquatic ecosystems in Europe since medieval times. Paintings and works of art have always been full of representations of fish, molluscs and other crustaceans. Since 2017, a team of scientists from the MIO and TELEMME have been probing the information lurking in these paintings. And they are now counting on participatory science to add to their gallery!
This kind of idea often happens by chance. Hydrobiological engineer Thomas Changeux happened to glance at a 17th-century painting shown to him by a colleague. The monumental canvas, on display at the Louvre Museum, is by the Flemish painter Frans Snyders. Above all, it caught his attention because it was full of fish and marine animals, the subject of our scientist's studies.
The idea was born: to use works of art to study the ecosystems of other eras. But also to measure man's interest in these species. It's not a completely new idea," says Thomas Changeux, "others before us have studied climate, for example, using the skies and clouds in paintings".
For internet searches, use the keyword "still life".
In 2017, the project will get underway. Code name: BiodivAquArt (for aquatic biodiversity in art). At the helm: the tandem of Thomas Changeux and Daniel Faget. Changeux, a specialist in fisheries studies and aquatic ecosystems, is deputy director of the Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), part of the IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement) in Marseille. Faget, a historian of the Mediterranean marine environment, is a lecturer in modern history at Aix-Marseille University, attached to the TELEMME laboratory (CNRS). They will be joined by doctoral student Thomas Richard and post-doctoral researcher Anne-Sophie Tribot.
The quartet tracked down paintings (Italian, Flemish and, above all, French), browsed through art books and did a host of Internet searches using the keyword "still life". The period studied runs from the 16th to the end of the 18th century. "Before that, it is more difficult to identify the species, because the representations are often symbolic and less realistic. Even so, as a symbol of Christianity, fish is a recurring subject. As is water, which features in many baptism scenes," explains Thomas Changeux.
Sorting the truth from fantasy
The analysis has to be detailed, taking into account for example the place reproduced and the painter who signed the work, because these supports are rarely scientific. "Depending on whether you're dealing with the North Sea or the Mediterranean, the species are different. We know that orange darnes refer to salmon and therefore to the Atlantic or the North Sea. On the other hand, cephalopods and molluscs are mainly painted in the Mediterranean". There can also be surprises, with artists happily mixing saltwater and freshwater fish in their compositions. "Anne-Sophie Tribot points out: "We can see some incredible associations with cetaceans, porpoises and turtles.
History and ecology sometimes get in the way. In the 16th and 17th centuries, freshwater fish were much more often represented than their saltwater counterparts. Then the trend was reversed. "Many ponds were drained to combat malaria and free farmers from fevers. Similarly, religious fervour waned," analyses the Biodivaquart team.
With the exception of certain fishing scenes or mythological representations, the species are rarely depicted in their natural environment," stresses the team's female member. Most of the time they are dead, displayed on stalls or in kitchens".
Information on sturgeon and red mullet
Today, some 300 paintings have been selected and analysed using quantitative ecology (bonus) methods, which make it possible to establish statistics based on testimonies or characteristics of a past situation. These statistics provide trends that can then be interpreted in the light of current knowledge.
This inventory has already led to a number of hypotheses. Sturgeon, for example: this species, which was highly prized (for its eggs and meat) and therefore intensively exploited, has seen its representations become increasingly rare over time. On the other hand, trigulates (gallinettes, red mullets, gurnards, etc.) multiplied between the 16th and 18th centuries. "Trawling, which developed from the 15th century onwards, certainly brought more of them onto the shelves," deduced Thomas Changeux. Other individuals have still not been identified, and have simply been attached to a group. "We'd rather be less precise than make mistakes," says Anne-Sophie Tribot.
Article by Nathania Cahen, 27 October 2021 on the Marcelle website
https://marcelle.media/2021/10/27/biodivaquart-traque-la-faune-aquatique…