{"product_id":"little-beasts-art-wonder-and-the-natural-world","title":"Little Beasts : Art, Wonder, and the Natural World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e'[With] stimulating essays. . . .[and] pioneering analysis. . . .[\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eLittle Beasts\u003c\/span\u003e is] beautiful book, lovingly produced with marginalia and full-page illustrations as well as vivid details'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eHistorians of Netherlandish Art\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA richly illustrated look at the intersection of art and science in Renaissance Europe\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArt played a pivotal role in the development of natural history during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. \u003cspan\u003eEuropean colonial expansion enabled naturalists to study previously unknown insects, animals, and other beestjes—“little beasts”—from around the globe. Little Beasts explores how artists such as Joris Hoefnagel and Jan van Kessel helped deepen and spread knowledge of these creatures with highly detailed and playful works that inspired generations of printmakers, painters, decorative artists, and naturalists.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis appealing book begins by mapping the origins of natural history as a discipline, showing how early illustrated treatises reflected a vibrant exchange between artists and naturalists that contributed to the growth of natural science and sparked public fascination with the animal kingdom. It shares insights into Hoefnagel’s engagement with contemporary natural history, as demonstrated in his Four Elements—a four-volume series of some three hundred watercolor miniatures of animals—and examines how intaglio printmaking enabled natural history studies to reach new audiences. The volume concludes with a discussion of Van Kessel’s small oil paintings, likely made for discerning collectors of both natural and artistic curiosities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlending lively and informative essays with beautiful illustrations, Little Beasts traces the connections between artists, naturalists, and collectors in an age of scientific discovery and broadening horizons, inviting readers to look with wonder at nature’s variety.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExhibition Schedule National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCMay 18–November 2, 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eAuthor: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eAlexandra Libby, c\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eurator of northern baroque paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eHardcover:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003e 224 pages | 150 colour illustrations\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eDate published:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003e May 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003e English\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e9780691271309\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.5;\"\u003e23.4 x 20.8 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"National Gallery of Art","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57091686367610,"sku":"9780691271309","price":42.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0915\/8302\/files\/little-beasts-art-wonder-and-the-natural-world-9780691271309-1250191146.jpg?v=1784570831","url":"https:\/\/www.museumbookstore.com\/products\/little-beasts-art-wonder-and-the-natural-world","provider":"Museum Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}