Jane Colden and the Flora of New York: The Art and Science of Women in Botany
Jane Colden (1724–1766) is now recognised as America’s first woman botanist. Her meticulous documentation of native North American flora stands…
Elizabeth Blackwell’s Curious Herbal: The Art and Science of Women in Botany
Elizabeth Blackwell’s Curious Herbal represents a landmark in eighteenth-century botanical illustration, natural science, and visual culture. Trained as an artist…
Seashell Patterns: Shell Motifs from a Japanese Design Book
Japanese Seashell Patterns Conchology—the study of shells—began as an Enlightenment-era craze in Europe, with shells collected as exotic treasures from…
Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours: Nature’s Colour Book
In the eighteenth century, a German geologist established a colour classification system that would change our understanding of the visual…
The Artwork of Maria Sibylla Merian: The Woman Who Painted Butterflies
Maria Merian is one of the most influential artist-naturalists of the eighteenth century.
Where Art Meets Science: Exploring a Visual Record of the Natural World
From our ancient ancestors charting the movements of the heavens to the earliest explorers circumnavigating the globe, detailed records have been created to document discoveries and observations, producing exquisite annals that showcase the beauty of where art meets science.