Leaf with thirteen mosquitoes (Rudolf II’s Historia Naturalis)

Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt, 1596 - 1610

Anselmus de Boodt was court physician to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. Scientific interest in natural phenomena ran high at his court. There, De Boodt produced his Historia Naturalis, a series of albums with hundreds of images of animals and plants. This sheet of ordinary mosquitoes bears witness fo his exceptional powers of observation. Each of the thirteen mosquitoes is slightly different.

  • Artwork typedrawing
  • Object numberRP-T-BR-2017-1-6-75
  • Dimensionsheight 290 mm x width 186 mm
  • Physical characteristicspenseel in waterverf en dekverf in kleuren over potlood of zwart krijt, gehoogd met witte dekverf, handschrift in pen in bruin