Natural Histories: 400 Years of Scientific Illustration

Scientific illustration has been a vital piece of scientific research and understanding for hundreds of years. Though scientific illustrations can be quite beautiful in and of themselves, their main purpose is to help explain complex concepts, show intricate details, and even represent extinct species.

Though modern imaging techniques can produce much more detailed images, scientific artworks and illustrations are still used to convey more complex subjects. Today, scientific art has expanded beyond scientific illustrations and includes fields such as data visualization, which helps people to better understand the information data represents.

The exhibition Natural Histories: 400 Years of Scientific Illustration, featuring scientific illustrations spanning five centuries, is now open on the second floor of the Saint Louis Science Center! This exhibition showcases images that were created in pursuit of scientific knowledge and to accompany important scientific works in disciplines ranging from astronomy to zoology. It explores the integral role illustration has played in scientific discovery through striking, large-format reproductions from the Rare Book collection of the American Museum of Natural History’s Library, including illustrations by celebrated artists Albrecht Dürer, Joseph Wolf, Moses Harris and John Woodhouse Audubon. Natural Histories also includes several specimens from the Saint Louis Science Center’s Collections so guests can compare real examples of animals with those featured in the illustrations.

Admission to Natural Histories is free.

Natural Histories: 400 Years of Scientific Illustration is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org)