The markhoor before 1869

"The Markhoor" is a photogravure by Arthur Lucas from before 1869. It depicts the head of a Markhoor, a wild goat native to the mountains of Central Asia. This photogravure is part of a larger work on the fauna of the region, likely aimed at a scholarly audience. The image focuses on the animal's distinctive, spiraling horns, which are a key identifying feature of this species, and the detail of the horns suggests that this image was likely made from a close-up photograph of a taxidermied specimen. Lucas's image offers a glimpse into the scientific exploration of the natural world in the 19th century.