Ouananiche (Salmo salar ouananiche) by John L. Petrie, 1898

The Ouananiche or Winninish, Salmo salar ouananiche (1898) by John L. Petrie is a richly observed Victorian zoological illustration from the celebrated natural-history project The Fishes of North America. Issued as a chromolithographic plate in the late 19th century, the work reflects the era’s union of scientific precision and sporting culture. Petrie—working alongside editor and angling author William C. Harris—sought out living specimens to record their true coloration, sheen, and form before those qualities faded, resulting in images that are as informative as they are beautiful.

This listing offers a museum-quality fine art print of Petrie’s plate, produced on acid-free archival paper or on artist’s cotton canvas. The Unique Maps Co. prints to order, with a range of sizes from intimate study-friendly formats to statement pieces for larger walls. Professional framing and matting are available, and we’re happy to personalize the piece—such as adding a refined caption with the plate title and date, or tailoring sizing to fit a specific frame—to create a print that suits your space perfectly.

John L. Petrie was a late-19th-century artist-illustrator known for lifelike depictions of North American fish, created when natural history and field observation were ascendant. His contributions to The Fishes of North America helped set a high standard for ichthyological illustration, where accuracy, clarity, and elegance were paramount. By depicting fish as they appear in their native waters, Petrie preserved both scientific detail and the visual poetry of living color seen glinting just beneath the surface.

Here the subject—ouananiche, the landlocked form of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar ouananiche)—is rendered with meticulous fidelity. Prized by anglers and naturalists alike, the ouananiche symbolizes the richness of North America’s freshwater ecosystems. The plate’s careful labeling and anatomically correct features speak to a period when artists and editors sought to catalog the continent’s species for scholars, sportsmen, and the curious public, bridging art and scientific education.

Color and design are handled with quiet mastery. A muted palette of soft green, yellow-gold, and beige evokes clear water over a pale riverbed, while the fish’s silvery-olive flank shifts through gentle gradients that suggest depth and motion. Fine lithographic shading and stippling pick out the speckled patterning and fin structure with remarkable subtlety, and the reflective glimmer along the lateral line imparts a lifelike, near-iridescent presence. The spare, softly rendered background keeps focus on the fish’s streamlined form, making this an elegant, calming centerpiece for a study, library, lakeside cottage, or any nature-inspired interior.

Thoughtful and timeless, this print makes a superb gift for anglers, naturalists, and lovers of Victorian scientific art. It’s an inspired choice for Christmas, Father’s Day or Mother’s Day, a lake-house or cabin housewarming, or to welcome home someone freshly returned from a North American fishing trip.

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.