Maravillas diminutas: arte y ciencia en la representación de insectos. Entre bodegones y gabinetes de curiosidades

This research explores the image of insects in the 17th and 18th centuries, in both art and science. The connection between the Baroque still-life paintings of northwest Europe which included insects among their flowers and fruits, and the naturalistic and scientific illustrations, is examined through an interdisciplinary comparative analysis. These types of engravings were kept in cabinets of curiosities, wonderful spaces which collected numerous natural pieces, demonstrating the growing fascination with nature and its classification during this time. In particular, the study focuses on the work of the Dutch artist Jacob L'Admiraal, whose illustrations on insect metamorphosis, preserved in the Iconographic Fund of the Historical Archive of the National Museum of Natural Sciences of Madrid, within the Van Berkheij collection, stand out for their exceptional technique and scientific precision, marking him as a pioneer in the study of these living beings.