Tag Archives: Scientific Illustration

Patience, young grasshopper! (Animals in Art)

Posted in Animals in Art by

How narrow is the vision that exalts the busyness of the ant above the singing of the grasshopper.
~Sand and Foam by Kahlil Gibran http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks05/0500611h.html

Because grasshoppers have such powerful jumping legs, people sometimes don’t realize that they also have wings. Grasshoppers use their jumping ability to give them a boost into the air but most are pretty strong fliers and make good use of their wings to escape predators.
~FROM https://www.thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-grasshoppers-1968334

Clicking on the embedded links below will take you to larger images of these works:

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1. Sculpture of a Grasshopper, Mexico, 1300 / Stone / Barakat Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2. The Plague of Grasshoppers, Germany, c.1400 / Getty Museum Collection, California

3. Still life with fruits, a grasshopper and a butterfly by Maria Sibylla Merian, c.1670 / Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Germany

4. Locusta Germanica.Tab XXIV by Rosel von Rosenhof, c.1746 / Engraving with hand coloring / Pictura Antique Prints, The Netherlands

5. Freshwater Jar with Procession of Grasshoppers, by Makuzu Kōzan I, c.1870/80s / Stoneware with wood lid and ivory knob / The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

6. Grasshopper and sunflower by Shibata Zeshin, c.1877 / Woodblock print / Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN

7. French Art Deco Grasshopper Hood Ornament, c.1920s / Bronze on Bakelite Plinth / Deco Interiors, Gloucestershire, UK

8. Corsage Brooch with Grasshoppers by René Lalique, c.1920 / Molded glass, nickel silver, marcasite, and pigmented resin / The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD

9. Grasshopper by M.C Escher, 1935 / Wood engraving / Limited edition, various collections

10. Dog and grasshopper, 1930 / Porcelain / Musée National Adrien Dubouche, Limoges, France

11. Don’t Be a Job Hopper by Walt Disney Company, 1944 / Poster / Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY

12. Green Grasshopper by Yvonne Rosalind Barlow, c.1964 / Oil on board / Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, UK

13. Locust And Grasshopper by Salvador Dalí, 1967 / Original colored lithograph / Limited edition, various collections

14. The Ant and the Grasshopper by Jacob Lawrence, 1969 / Ink on paper / Paul G. Allen Family Collection

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Grasshopper Found Embedded in van Gogh Masterpiece
https://nelson-atkins.org/grasshopper-found-embedded-van-gogh-masterpiece/

Autoportrait Day 335~ Beatrix Potter

Posted in Self Portraits, Women Artists by

A random survey of self-portraits created by women through the centuries

English author, illustrator, mycologist, and conservationist
Helen Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)

1a. Self-portrait of Beatrix Potter as Mrs. McGregor, 1902 / Watercolor; included in only the first five printings of The Tale of Peter Rabbit / Found here~ https://www.peterharrington.co.uk/blog/first-editions-of-peter-rabbit/

1b. Original version from self-published edition, c.1902 / Found here~ https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1483146/drawing-potter-beatrix/

2. Self-portrait in The Roly-Poly Pudding, 1907 / Sepia pen and ink / Found here~ https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-roly-poly-pudding-by-beatrix-potter#

3. Self-portrait in The Tale of Pigling Bland, 1913 / Sepia pen and ink / Found here~ https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/242807

4. Tongue-in-cheek self-portrait of Beatrix Potter and a pig, 1924? / Pen and ink sketch / Found here~ https://charminglittlebunny.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/tongue-in-cheek-self-portrait-of-beatrix-potter-and-a-pig-1924/

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Metamorphosis in Art, Part 1 of 2~

Posted in Miscellanea by

Metamorphosis II, 1939-1940, by M.C. Escher (1898-1972) / https://mcescher.com/about/biography/
Woodcut on paper / Boston Public Library / https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:ww72cb78j

metamorphosis (noun)  me-tə-ˈmȯr-fə-səs 
1a: change of physical form, structure, or substance especially by supernatural means
the metamorphosis of humans into animals
1b: a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances
The company has gone through a series of metamorphoses.
2: a typically marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal (such as a butterfly or a frog) occurring subsequent to birth or hatching
the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metamorphosis

1. The Metamorphosis of Daphne by Master of the Judgement of Paris (active mid-15th C)
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/master-of-the-judgement-of-paris
Tempera on wood / The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-metamorphosis-of-daphne-33148

2. The Metamorphosis of Hermaphrodite and Salmacis, c.1517, by Jan Gossaert (c.1478–1532)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Gossaert
Oil on panel / Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
https://www.boijmans.nl/en/collection/artworks/3731/the-metamorphosis-of-hermaphrodite-and-salmacis

3. Plate 5 from Dissertation in Insect Generations and Metamorphosis in Surinam, 1719, by Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/maria-sibylla-merian-metamorphosis-art-and-science.html
Hand-colored engraving on paper / National Museum of Women in the Arts, DC
https://nmwa.org/art/collection/plate-5-dissertation-insect-generations-and-metamorphosis-surinam/

4. Les Métamorphoses d’Ovide, before 1886, by Auguste Rodin (1840–1917)
https://rodinmuseum.org/collection/about-auguste-rodin
Plaster / Musée Rodin, Paris, France
https://collections.musee-rodin.fr/fr/museum/rodin/les-metamorphoses-d-ovide/S.02871?anneeDeCreation%5B0%5D=1886&position=91

5. Metamorphosis, 1908, by Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/piet-mondrian
Oil on canvas / Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Netherlands, gift of Sal Slijper
https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/268881

6. Metamorphosis, 1917, by Gaganendranath Tagore (1867—1938)
https://indianhistorycollective.com/the-satirical-genius-of-gaganendranath-tagore-artistic-indianart-bengals-peasantryclass-cartoons-painting-master/
Collection of 16 lithographs bound in one volume / Various collections incl. V&A, London, UK
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1171926/metamorphosis-lithograph-tagore-gaganendranath/

7. Metamorphosis, 1936, by Herbert Bayer (1900-1985)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Bayer
Gelatin silver print / Various collections including The Met, NYC
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/265442

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, February 6: Metamorphosis in Art, Part 2 of 2
https://schristywolfe.com/2023/02/06/metamorphosis-in-art-part-2-of-2/

 

Metamorphosis III, 1967–1968, by M.C. Escher (1898-1972) / https://mcescher.com/about/biography/
Woodcut on paper mounted on canvas, partly colored by hand / Boston Public Library
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:ww72cb78j

Dandelions in Art, Part 1 of 2~

Posted in Miscellanea by

“Taraxacum officinale, the dandelion or common dandelion, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant, well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls of silver-tufted fruits that disperse in the wind.
The common dandelion grows in temperate regions of the world in areas with moist soils. It is most often considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but the leaves, flowers, and roots are sometimes used in herbal medicine and as food.”
~https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale

The First Dandelion
Simple and fresh and fair from winter’s close emerging,
As if no artifice of fashion, business, politics, had ever been,
Forth from its sunny nook of shelter’d grass—innocent, golden,
calm as the dawn,
The spring’s first dandelion shows its trustful face.
~Walt Whitman (1819-1892) https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/walt-whitman

1. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) with a caterpillar from The Book of Flower Studies, c.1510–1515, by Master of Claude de France
https://frenchly.us/art-master-of-claude-de-france/
Opaque water color, organic glazes, gold and silver paint, iron and carbon-based ink and charcoal on parchment / The Met Cloisters, New York, NY
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/823979

2. A Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) with a Tiger Moth, a Butterfly, a Snail, and a Beetle, c.1730, by Barbara Regina Dietzsch (1706-1783)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Regina_Dietzsch
Opaque watercolor on parchment / Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
https://www.famsf.org/artworks/a-dandelion-taraxacum-officinale-with-a-tiger-moth-a-butterfly-a-snail-and-a-beetle

3. Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 3: Sparrows and Dandelions, c.1820 by Teisai Hokuba (1771-1844)
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG1797
Privately published woodblock prints (surimono) mounted in an album; ink and color on paper / The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/54148

4. Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale), c. 1854, by Anna Atkins (1799-1871)
https://schristywolfe.com/2018/03/16/anna-atkins-born-march-16-1799/
Cyanotype on paper / Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82810/dandelion-taraxacum-officinale-photograph-atkins-anna/

5. Dandelion Seeds, 1858 or later, by William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Fox_Talbot
Photogravure / The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/285342

6. Dandelions, 1867–68, by Jean-François Millet (1814–1875)
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1720.html
Pastel on tan wove paper / Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/31640/dandelions?ctx=b188ba7b-3b8e-411d-85c1-9bd17545e848&idx=0

7. Tree trunks in the grass, 1890, by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/vincents-life-1853-1890
Oil on canvas / Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, the Netherlands
https://krollermuller.nl/en/vincent-van-gogh-tree-trunks-in-the-grass

8. Dandelions, ND, by Bertha Wegmann (1847-1926)
https://www.portraitsociety.org/single-post/an-introduction-to-bertha-wegmann
Oil on canvas / Private collection
https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/british-european-art-online/bertha-wegmann-danish-1847-1926-108/171771

9. Dandelions, c.1900, by Ludwik Stasiak (1858-1924)
https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/124863
Oil on canvas / Stanisław Fischer Museum, Bochnia, Poland
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ludwik_Stasiak_-_Dmuchawce.jpg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, January 23rd: Dandelions in Art, Part 2 of 2
https://schristywolfe.com/2023/01/23/dandelions-in-art-part-2-of-2/

Born October 24~ Marianne North

Posted in 365 Women Artists, Artists Born Today Include:, Women Artists by

Marianne North (October 24, 1830-August 30, 1890) was an English botanical artist, writer, and world traveler who visited 15 countries in 14 years.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_North

Honeyflowers and Honeysuckers, South Africa by Marianne North
c.1882 / Oil on board / 20″x13-3/4″ / Marianne North Gallery, Kew Gardens, London, UK

Marianne North on Art UK: https://artuk.org/visit/venues/marianne-north-gallery-5000

Further reading:
https://www.lindahall.org/marianne-north/
https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/marianne-north-botanical-artist
https://www.artiststudiomuseum.org/blog/marianne-north-pioneering-botanical-artist/

Born July 3~ Maria Martin

Posted in 365 Women Artists, Artists Born Today Include:, Women Artists by

Maria Martin Bachman (July 3, 1796-December 27, 1863) was an American painter and scientific illustrator. She contributed many of the background paintings for Audubon’s The Birds of America.
Biography on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Martin

Bachman’s Warbler / Audubon-Martin collaboration
1863 / Watercolor, graphite, gouache, with touches of black ink and pastel and selective glazing
Named for Maria Martin’s brother-in-law and later husband, Reverend John Bachman

Maria’s Woodpecker~ Maria was honored by Audubon in Birds of America. He named Maria’s Woodpecker for her; this is now considered a subspecies of the Hairy Woodpecker and unfortunately no longer bears her name.

Further reading:
https://uh.edu/engines/epi891.htm
http://lepcurious.blogspot.com/2015/04/steam-empowered-maria-martin-bachman.html
Audubon’s Method and Technique: https://www.audubon-prints.com/audubon-method-and-technique/

August 16, 1916~ Migratory Bird Convention (Treaty) signed

Posted in On This Date by

Great Blue Heron by Robert Havell, Jr. after John James Audubon

The Birds of America: From Original Drawings by John James Audubon
“Drawn from nature by J. J. Audubon F.R.S. F.L.S.” “Engraved, printed & coloured by R. Havell, 1834”

1834 / Hand-colored engraving and aquatint on paper / 39 3/4”x26 15/16” / Various collections

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The Migratory Bird Treaty~
https://www.ducks.org/conservation/public-policy/the-migratory-bird-treaty-centennial

Previous August 16 posts:

Self Portraits~August 16

Babe Ruth, February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948

Artist Birthday Quiz for 8/16~

March 16, 1834~ H.M.S. Beagle, with Charles Darwin, arrives in the Falklands

Posted in On This Date by

Falklands Wolf, “Canis Antarcticus” by George R. Waterhouse,
from Part 2, No. 1 of The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle,
edited and superintended by Charles Darwin

1838 / 5-part book, “The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle
Under the Command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the Years 1832 to 1836”

New Clues To Extinct Falklands Wolf Mystery:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121449.htm

Previous March 16 posts:

March 16~ Women’s History Month in visual arts

Anna Atkins: Born March 16, 1799

Artist Birthday Quiz for 3/16~

December 14~ Animals in Art

Posted in Animals in Art by

Common or Spectacled Caiman with South American False Coral Snake
by Maria Sibylla Merian

c.1705-10 / Watercolor & opaque watercolor with gum arabic on vellum / 13 5/8”x19 1/2” / Royal Collection Trust
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Whistlejacket by George Stubbs

c.1762 / Oil on canvas / 115”x97” / The National Gallery, London

March 13~ Women’s History Month in visual arts

Posted in #5WomenArtists, Women Artists by

Maria Hadfield Cosway (1760-1838), British painter, miniaturist, draughtswoman, etcher, and musician
http://www.19thcenturypaintings.com/artists/31-maria-cosway/biography/

A Persian Lady Worshipping the Rising Sun / 1784 / Oil on canvas / 24”x29”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marianne North (1830-1890)
Victorian naturalist, botanical artist, and author
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/marianne-north-early-female-explorer

Papyrus or Paper Reed Growing in the Ciane, Sicily / c.1870-1879 / Oil on board / 13.94”x10”