Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) by John L. Petrie, 1898

The Large-Mouthed Black Bass, Micropterus salmoides (1898) by John L. Petrie captures a defining moment in Victorian zoological illustration, when art and science aligned to document the natural world with extraordinary fidelity. Issued for the ambitious series The Fishes of North America, Petrie’s plate renders the famed gamefish with a poised, lifelike presence—the glint of its scales, the firm set of the jaw, and the sleek, muscular silhouette all rooted in direct observation. Produced as a chromolithograph at the height of 1890s color publishing, the work embodies the period’s passion for exacting natural history and the burgeoning culture of sporting life around America’s lakes and rivers.

This listing offers a museum-quality fine art print of Petrie’s illustration, available on acid-free archival paper or on artist’s cotton canvas. The Unique Maps Co. produces each print with rich, lightfast inks and precise color, in a range of sizes to suit your space. Framing options, matting, and personalized captioning are available, and our studio can customize sizing to fit existing frames or special installations.

John L. Petrie was a late-19th-century American illustrator working at the intersection of biology and book arts. His contributions to natural history publishing are notable for their careful draftsmanship and sensitive color—a combination well-suited to chromolithography’s layered inks. In this plate he balances scientific clarity with painterly nuance, creating an image that is both instructive and inherently beautiful on the wall.

The subject itself—the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides—holds iconic status in North American waters. Its rise to renown mirrors the Gilded Age enthusiasm for angling, fieldcraft, and the cataloging of regional species. Petrie’s image belongs to that moment of naturalist optimism, when artists and editors collaborated to keep pace with a rapidly expanding record of native wildlife.

Color is handled with particular restraint and elegance. A muted palette of greens and browns flows along the fish’s streamlined form, with warm yellow notes catching on the scales to suggest a living sheen. Soft, blended strokes model the body without fuss, while a quiet, lightly textured ground hints at water movement and depth. The composition’s clarity—fish in crisp profile, negative space kept serene—makes the plate equally at home in a study, a lakeside living room, or a contemporary gallery wall. For anglers, biologists, and design lovers alike, it’s a timeless fusion of precision and grace.

This fine art print makes a thoughtful gift for anglers and natural history buffs, as well as a refined accent for lake houses and coastal interiors. It’s perfect for Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, graduations in the life sciences, housewarmings, or to welcome home someone returning from a fishing trip or time spent by the water.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

The model in the listing images is holding the 36x20in (90x50cm) version of this art print.

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.