Carton, Charles A.

Introduction

The science of natural history emerged during the Renaissance as the study of nature shifted from medicinal and practical concerns to the description and classification of life forms. Because of their ability to represent plants and animals in vivid detail, artists were hired by naturalists to illustrate their publications. Artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrect Durer took such an avid interest in the depiction of the natural world that they qualify as naturalists in their own right. The same can be said of many of the later artists included in this collection: G.D. Ehret, John M. Gould, Pierre-Joseph Redoute, and Abraham Munting.