Crawly Creatures – Depiction and Appreciation of Insects and other Critters in Art and Science

Crawly creatures are small, itchy critters, spiders, lizards, toads, and of course insects. For a long time, these animals have suffered from a negative image; in the Middle Ages they were mainly associated with death and the devil. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this changed and they became the centre of attention. People started to appreciate their beauty; so they appeared in artworks, 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 managed to depict these creatures beautifully. Today, artists are still inspired by them and are finding new ways to address insects and the natural world.