Red Drum (Scioena ocellata) by John L. Petrie, 1898

John L. Petrie’s The Red Drum or Channel Bass, Scioena ocellata (1898) is a luminous Victorian zoological illustration created for William C. Harris’s landmark natural history series, The Fishes of North America. Issued as a chromolithograph at the close of the nineteenth century, it exemplifies Realist ideals—anatomical truth, clarity of form, and fidelity to living color—capturing a much-loved American game fish with both scientific rigor and decorative poise.

Offered by The Unique Maps Co., this is a museum-quality fine art print produced to order on your choice of acid-free archival paper or artist's cotton canvas. Select from a range of sizes, with optional professional framing and matting. Personalization is available—add a custom caption, dedication, or date beneath the image, and request tailored margins to suit your hanging space. Every print is carefully color-matched to honor the rich tones and crisp detail of the original chromolithograph.

About the artist: John L. Petrie was a skilled late-Victorian illustrator whose plates for Harris’s ambitious project helped set a new standard for natural history publishing in North America. Working closely with fresh-caught specimens, Petrie recorded the nuanced sheen and precise anatomy that anglers and ichthyologists would recognize instantly. His work demonstrates the era’s fascination with uniting art, science, and public education.

About the subject: Known commonly as the red drum or channel bass, Scioena ocellata is celebrated for the distinctive dark ocellus—an “eyespot”—near the tail. Petrie’s plate honors those hallmarks with exacting clarity: the gently arched dorsal profile, the crisp fin rays, and the tapering, muscular tail that hints at speed in shallow coastal waters. In the late 1800s, images like this were more than beautiful—they were practical tools for identification and study as recreational angling and natural history boomed in the United States.

Color and craft: Built from multiple lithographic stones, the image layers warm orange-bronze hues of the fish against a soft blue-green field, with cool blue accents lending depth and balance. The subtle texture of the scales is rendered through delicate tonal steps rather than overt patterning, catching the light so the body seems to shimmer. Minimal background distraction and a gentle ground shadow keep the focus on the fish’s lifelike silhouette—an elegant fusion of scientific illustration and art-print sophistication, perfect for a study, library, or coastal interior.

This timeless print makes a thoughtful gift for anglers, marine-life enthusiasts, and lovers of natural history—ideal for Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, a housewarming, or for someone recently returned from a memorable trip to America’s coasts.

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.