Professor Brian W. Ogilvie contributes to National Gallery of Art Exhibition Catalogue, ‘Little Beasts'
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'Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World’
Published by Princeton University Press, this illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibit of the same name on display at the National Gallery of Art May 18th through November 2nd, 2025.
From Princeton University Press: “Art played a pivotal role in the development of natural history during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. European colonial expansion enabled naturalists to study previously unknown insects, animals, and other beestjes—’little beasts’—from around the globe.”
Ogilvie’s contribution, “Natural History in the European Renaissance,” examines the origins of the field of natural history, European collections of early modern naturalists, and the art that reflected their interests.
The exhibit and the illustrated book seek to invite audiences “to look with wonder at nature’s variety.”
The illustrated catalogue is available for purchase beginning May 20th.