The 76 students enrolled in ART 345/HUM 345 “Art and Knowledge in the Nineteenth Century” taught by Dr. Bridget A. Alsdorf and Dr. Rachael Z. DeLue are visiting RBSC this week. Their focus is natural history and natural history illustration from the 16th to 20th century.

On view are:
Conrad Gessner, Historiae animalium (Tiguri: C. Froschoverum, 1551-87), RBSC Oversize QL41.G37f

Mark Catesby, The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects and Plants, volume 1 (London: Charles Marsh, 1754), RBSC Oversize QH41.C292e

Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (Leipzig und Wien: Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, 1904), RBSC Oversize 2007-0290Q

John James Audubon, The Birds of America: from original drawings by John James Audubon … (London: Pub. by the author, 1827-38). RBSC Oversize EX 8880.134.11; along with an Audubon rifle and one double-elephant printing plate.

The student are viewing animals, both real and imagined, miniature and life-size, through woodcuts, etchings, aquatints, and  lithographs. Don’t miss the gentlemen cooking their dinner inside the creature at the bottom of this post.