Crawly Creatures

Crawly creatures: critters, spiders, lizards, toads and, above all, insects. In the Middle Ages they were mainly associated with death and the Devil; but in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the emergence of science, people began to appreciate their beauty, and such creatures appeared in works of art, became the subject of scholarly treatises and were popular collectors’ items. Artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Wenzel Jamnitzer, Jan van Kessel and Maria Sibylla Merian created beautiful depictions of these creatures.

Today, artists are still inspired by “crawly creatures” and continue to depict new ways of dealing with insects and the natural world. This richly illustrated publication, designed by Irma Boom, celebrates the wonders of small creatures and the fascinating relationship between art and science across the centuries.