The Rijksmuseum is teeming with more than a thousand colourful butterflies, hairy spiders and glistening toads. The more than 140 paintings, sculptures, books and preserved specimens reflect the ever-changing perceptions of crawly creatures in the arts and sciences.
FROM HORROR TO WONDER
Crawly Creatures takes a close look at these changing perceptions in 140 objects, with highlights including the first drawing that took an insect as its main subject, made in 1505 by Albrecht Dürer, and Peter Paul Rubens’ Head of Medusa (1617-18). And we discover how this emerging appreciation for crawly creatures gave rise to a new painting genre known as sottobosco, meaning ‘forest flora and fauna’. The inventor of the genre, Otto Marseus van Schrieck, even bred reptiles, amphibians and insects himself. See for yourself how Sottobosco paintings merge the arts and sciences, in the final gallery of the exhibition.
From the 17th century to the present day
How do we see these little beings today? Are they really creepy crawlies at all? Only now, when it’s perhaps too late, are we realising how important they are to our ecosystems.
The exhibition also features work by the contemporary artists Tomás Saraceno and Rafael Gomezbarros.
BOOK
The exhibition is accompanied by the book Crawly Creatures, with contributions from Jan de Hond, Eric Jorink, Hans Mulder and others.
Do you have entomophobia or arachnophobia?
On your way to the exhibition, you will come across an artwork called Casa Tomada by Rafael Gomezbarros. Here you can see a large number of magnified ants. For people with entomophobia (fear of insects), this might trigger reactions. There are no live animals in the exhibitions. However, there is an artwork consisting of real spider webs. For people with arachnophobia, this could trigger reactions. You can skip this room.
THANKS TO
The exhibition is made possible in part by a private donor through the Rijksmuseum Fonds and Stichting Thurkowfonds.
Peter Paul Rubens, The Head of Medusa, 1617-18. Moravian Gallery, Brno
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Rustiques figulines, Attributed to Bernard Palissy, Rustiques figulines, ca. 1550-60. Louvre, Paris
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Preparaten op sterk water uit de verzameling van Albertus Seba, 1717–1736 (?) Berlijn, Museum für Naturkunde (MfN)
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Albrecht Dürer, Stang-beetle, 1505. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
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Maria Sibylla Merian, Branch of Pomelo with Green-Banded Urania Moth. On loan Royal Collection Trust / Hare Majesteit Queen Elizabeth II 2022
