HENSTENBURGH, Herman
(b. 1667, Hoorn, d. 1726, Hoorn)

Insects

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Gouache and varnish on vellum, 317 x 245 mm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

Henstenburgh executed vellums of a scientific character, such as this sheet in which he closely studies the phenomenon of the metamorphosis of insects, which particularly fascinated Dutch entomologists and was a pretext for reflections on divine creation.

This sheet depicts cocoons, caterpillars, flies, and butterflies.