Our Science, Ourselves: How Gender, Race, and Social Movements Shaped the Study of Science

This appealing book begins by mapping the origins of natural history as a discipline, showing how early illustrated treatises reflected a vibrant exchange between artists and naturalists that contributed to the growth of natural science and sparked public fascination with the animal kingdom. It shares insights into Hoefnagel’s engagement with contemporary natural history, as demonstrated in his Four Elements-a four-volume series of some three hundred watercolor miniatures of animals-and examines how intaglio printmaking enabled natural history studies to reach new audiences. The volume concludes with a discussion of Van Kessel’s small oil paintings, likely made for discerning collectors of both natural and artistic curiosities.