For #NationalPetDay here is a watercolor of Linnaeus' pet #raccoon, Sjupp, by Lars Alstring, c.1746-7. Sjupp was a gift from Crown Prince Fredrik and lived in Linnaeus' garden at Uppsala. This work hung in Linnaeus' study at Hammarby.
Read more about Sjupp here: https://nature.com/articles/446255a
(1/2) Maria Sibylla Merian was born #OTD (2 Apr 1647 – 13 Jan 1717).
Here is a 1719 copy of Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium turned to
“Pineapple with Cockroaches” that was on display at the “Making Her Mark: A History of #WomenArtists in Europe, 1400-1800” exhibition at the BMA:
(2/2) Here are two more works by Maria Sibylla Merian from the same exhibition at the BMA:
Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumen-Nahrung (The Wondrous Transformation of Caterpillars and their Curious Diet of Flowers), 1679-83
Bound volume w/ hand colored engraved illustrations
Convolvulus and Metamorphosis of the Convolvulus Hawk Moth, c.1670-1683
Watercolor w/ touches of opaque watercolor over indications in black chalk or graphite on vellum
#ThreeForThursday:
Franz Marc (German, 1880-1916)
Grazing #Horses IV (The Red Horses),
1911
Oil on canvas, 121 x 183 cm (47 5/8 x 72 1/16 in.)
On display at Harvard Art Museums
“As this painting's numeric title suggests, Marc returned repeatedly to the horse as a subject. He became well known for his preoccupation with animals, seeing them as the embodiment of a better, purer world, the bringers of spiritual renewal to Western culture.”
For #Woodensday:
Dirck van Rijswijck (Dutch, 1596-1679)
Floral Still Life, mid-17th century
Ebony, rosewood, and mother-of-pearl on oak panel, in an African blackwood frame
On display at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
(1/2 - see next post for closeups of the insects!)
#InternationalPolarBearDay :
Porcelain Vase In The Form Of Two #PolarBears Inside An Icy Cave
'Makuzu' ware, Miyagawa Kozan workshop, Japan, c.1900-10
H 22.2 cm x D 15.9 cm
V & A: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O39341/vase-miyagawa-kozan/
"From the late 19th century, the Makuzu workshop produced porcelain for the Western market. The source of inspiration for this remarkable object was models of polar bears made by the Royal Copenhagen Manufactory. The icy effect was created using experimental glaze techniques."/
2/2
Reminder that #parrots aren't native to Europe & the ones in this painting come from 3 different regions of the world (Neotropical Americas, Australasia, & Indian Subcontinent). But they became common companions in aviaries, brought together through European colonization & conquest. This painting will be part of my presentation at the upcoming HSS Virtual Festival:
The Parrot in the Picture: Biogeographical Knowledge as a Decolonization Tool in Visual Culture Studies https://tinyurl.com/23485bet
#WorldLemurDay:
Giuseppe Castiglione (Italian, 1688-1766)
Cochin #Lemur, 1761
Qing Dynasty, China
Lemurs are of course not native to China, but rather endemic to Madagascar. This one was given to the Qianlong Emperor by the King of Vietnam, who likely got it from European traders. It was then painted by Castiglione, a Jesuit missionary who served as an artist in the Chinese imperial court. The background was likely painted by Jin Tingbiao (Chinese, d. 1767). A truly international history! (1/2)
🆔 Castiglione’s #lemur is easily identifiable as a Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta), but note the level of morphological detail - he included the antebrachial gland on the forearm (used for scent marking), and the tail appears to have suffered some loss at the tip. (2/2)