Vier vlakken met esdoorntakken, meidoorntakken, hazelaartakken en een hagedis before 1897

This monochrome print, whose maker is unfortunately unknown, depicts four studies of flora, alongside a single lizard. It comes from a tradition of naturalistic illustration that goes back centuries and speaks to a growing interest in the scientific understanding of the natural world, particularly amongst the middle and upper classes. Prints like this one reflect a growing institutional need for accurate and detailed scientific illustration for use in botanical studies. The composition echoes the way specimens are arranged in a herbarium for comparative analysis. The inclusion of a lizard adds a different dimension. Is it simply another specimen, or does it invite us to think about nature as a living, breathing ecosystem? How does the artist invite us to see the natural world? How does the act of organizing nature into repeatable images shape our understanding of it? These are just some of the questions art historians try to answer using a wide range of visual and textual resources.