From Venice to Fable : Insects in western art

Abstract

dimensional and three-dimensional works. Insects have often been used as symbols for the brevity of life, for the transcendence of the soul, but also because of the beauty of their forms and colours. Some artists paint or sculpt with insects themselves, either dead or still alive. Over the past 7 years I have visited 180 art museums and recorded the representation of insects in the works on display. As a result I have gained an entomological view of the history of art. This has provided insight both in the history of art itself as well as in the role of insects in its development. At present I have seen 3,045 works of art in which insects are represented. The majority occur in the Netherlandish still-lives of the 17th and 18th centuries, in surrealistic works and in Jugendstil works. Some artists have depicted only a single insect while others have represented over 100 insects in a single work of art. Of some artists I know only a single work with insects, while of others more than 100 works are known.

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