Insects intrigue, inspire artists through centuries

By Gary Raham
Nature Writer and Illustrator

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In a cave called Trois freres in Ariege, France, an artist painted the image of a grasshopper on a bison bone. He (or she) did such a good job that scientists were able to identify it to the genus Troglophilus, a species that now lives only in the Mediterranean. We can't ask for additional details because the artist lived 30,000 years ago. We don't know if he worshipped, ate or just admired his six-legged cave mate, but it did inspire him to create its image for us to ponder.

It's no great wonder that insects have inspired artists. The Earth essentially belongs to them, if we look at things objectively. If there are 30 million species of animals on Earth, as some have estimated, every 40th species you look at will be an insect, most likely a beetle. Beetles have crawled, chewed, and flown their way to success for some 240 million years. In fact, someone is once purported to have asked the British scientist J.B.S. Haldane what could be inferred about the work of the Creator from a study of His works and Haldane replied "an inordinate fondness for beetles." A book by that same name, authored by Arthur V. Evans and Charles L. Bellamy and published in 1996 by Henry Holt and Co., offers 98 color plates showing just a fraction of beetle diversity.

Sure, some insects bite us, suck our blood, or fly up our nose from time to time, but their colors, form and almost alien contours can also awe and inspire. Insects caught the eye of an amazing woman, Maria Sybilla Merian (1647-1717), during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. At the age of 13, she observed the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly and raised caterpillars for many years afterwards. Her talent for painting flowered early and she published a "Book of Flowers" and later a "New Book of Flowers" in full color that became quite popular. Among the roses, daffodils and other blossoms, she illustrated a wealth of dragonflies, butterflies and beetles.

Merian didn't even reach full stride, though, until she was past 50. At the age of 52, with her youngest teenage daughter, she took a three-month voyage to Surinam in 1699. The women spent two years visiting not only settlements and plantations, but also exploring the rich living wealth of the jungle. She published "Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium" in 1705 and set an example of both artistry and accuracy in rendering insect life.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, artist twins named Edward Julius and Maurice Detmold established themselves as premier wildlife artists. One of their finest joint achievements included 16 illustrations for Kipling's "The Jungle Book" published by MacMillan in 1903.

Then, in 1908, Maurice committed suicide at the age of 24. Edward continued his work, sometimes with feverish intensity, in a variety of media. He concentrated on insects, plants, animals and birds. He published a series of books in quick succession that solidly established his solo reputation, including Fabre's "Book of Insects" in 1921.

Keith Nicholson in "The Fantastic Creatures of Edward Julius Detmold" (1976) said: "Detmold was seeking a synthesis of decorative effect (artistic impression) and the realistic emphasis of his subject matter (natural authenticity). He achieved this in some extraordinary ways, with the subject and the setting often in incongruous juxtaposition, creating a surreal or dreamlike effect."

Today, those captivated by the artistry inherent in insect forms can gather knowledge and support from other artists with similar interests. The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (www.gnsi.org) was founded in 1968 at the Smithsonian Institution. Its online portfolio of member art at science-art.com shows many examples of insect-inspired artwork. (Choose images and put "insect" in the search criteria.) The "Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration" by Elaine R.S. Hodges has become a bible of sorts for natural science illustrators, and she includes a great section on illustrating insects.

Something special seems to have happened to the human species 30 or so millennia ago when they started creating images on cave walls. Art seems to reflect some qualitative difference that combusted into existence then. Humans abstracted what they knew of nature and refashioned it within their minds to create something both beautiful and satisfying. Although bison, deer, mammoth and lion captured a large share of their attention, we have a record of at least one individual who saw beauty in six-legged form. You might want to search for beauty there, too, in your own back yard.

Writer and illustrator Gary Raham of Wellington has been a member of The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators since 1985. His work can be seen at the guild's web site and at www.biostration.com.