Giclee reprint of an original lithograph from Leopold Joseph Fitzinger’s Bilder-Atlas zur wissenschaftlich-populären Naturgeschichte der Säugethiere in ihren sämmtlichen Hauptformen, published in Vienna in 1860 and produced by the Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office. This atlas was compiled to provide a comprehensive, accessible reference of global mammal species for both naturalists and the general public. The accompanying text tracks contemporary zoological taxonomy, documenting the anatomical variations, behaviors, and environmental ranges of the classified mammalian families.

This print illustrates Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), a massive marine mammal related to modern manatees and dugongs that was driven to extinction by European fur traders in 1768, less than three decades after its scientific discovery. The illustration features the animal resting its massive body on a coastal rock formation, accurately capturing historical descriptions of its thick, bark-like skin (hence Borkenthier or "bark-animal") and its distinct, down-turned snout used for feeding on kelp.