New ‘Little Beasts’ Exhibition Explores the Intersections of Natural History and Art

Image: Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary, 1653 by Jan van Kessel the Elder via NGA. Public Domain. Article by Eva Baron. My Modern Met – April 27, 2025. For more information: National Gallery of Art.

Back in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, animals conjured a remarkable sense of wonder. It was an era of unprecedented exploration, where scientific technology, trade, and colonial expansion led to the study of previously unknown or overlooked species. Integral to cataloging these beestjes, or “little beasts,” were artists. An upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will trace how such artists captured the natural world and, in so doing, spread critical knowledge about creatures big and small. […]

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