In English, most of the words we would use to refer to insects ring the best and formidable at worst, at least those who have no entomological folds. Dutch, close a linguistic relationship, even if it can be, offers a more endearing alternative in bestjeswhich refers to all these “little animals” in which Europe artists and scientists began to be major at the end of the 16th century. Like the style of that time, the magisterium of art and science tended to overlap, a phenomenon anywhere more clearly – at least with regard to the kingdom of insects – than in the work of the work of Joris Hoefnagela Flemish artist whose illustrations of bestjes Beauty and precision combined in an never seen before.
You can now see Hoefnagel's art closely at the exhibition Small animals: art, wonder and the natural worldWho will be at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC until early November. If you can't go to the museum, take a look The exhibition websitewhich shows the splendor of Hoefnagel's work as published in The four elementsA collection of around 300 watercolors grouped into four volumes in the fifteen years 70 and 80, each named for an element: Aqua contains water animals; Terra terrestrial animals; Hide birds and plants; And Ignisor “fire”, insects.
“We don't really know why Hoefnagel has put insects in the volume of fire,” explains Evan “Nerdwriter” Puschak The new video above. “Maybe because fire and insects symbolize the transformation.”
“What we know,” adds Puschak, “is that these insect miniatures are beautifully rendered.” Hoefnagel has even made improvements on illustrations of the nature of its artistic predecessor Albrecht Dürerwhose own capacities to make our world with loyalty had been considered almost superhuman. A particular work that goes beyond Dürer is the representation by Hoefnagel of a deer beetle, which he accompanied by the Latin inscription “Scarabei Umbra” or “The shadow of the Stag Beetle”: perhaps a reference to the unprecedented realism of the shadow of the insect as Hoefnagel threatens them. To also scary Stag's beetle, as Hoefnagel knew well, the real creature was sweet – just another little beast after all.
Related content:
The genius of Albrecht Dürer revealed in four self -portraits
Vladimir Nabokov's delicious butterfly drawings
Two million illustrations of a wonderful nature put online by the Biodiversity Heritage Library
Captivating collaboration: the artist Hubert Duprat uses insects to create golden sculptures
Based in Seoul, Colin MArshall Written and broadcastTS on cities, language and culture. His projects include the substack newsletter Books on cities And the book The stateless city: a walk through Los Angeles from the 21st century. Follow it on the social network formerly known as Twitter in @ColinmArshall.
At Learnopoly, Finn has championed a mission to deliver unbiased, in-depth reviews of online courses that empower learners to make well-informed decisions. With over a decade of experience in financial services, he has honed his expertise in strategic partnerships and business development, cultivating both a sharp analytical perspective and a collaborative spirit. A lifelong learner, Finn’s commitment to creating a trusted guide for online education was ignited by a frustrating encounter with biased course reviews.