Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) was a German biologist, naturalist and artist who wrote and illustrated the famous book Kunstformen Der Natur, or Art Forms In Nature. His contributions to science are great–he discovered and named many new species and added to the vocabulary of science. But this book has been used by artists for years as a valuable reference and inspiration.
(Thanks to Ann Weissmann at MBLWHOI Library, 2006)