Green Beetle with Brown Legs 1650 - 1702

Vincent Laurensz van der Vinne made this watercolor of a ‘Green Beetle with Brown Legs’ in the Netherlands sometime in the 17th century. The Dutch Golden Age was a time of unprecedented mercantile activity. The Dutch East India company dominated global trade, bringing previously unseen material from far-flung places back to Europe. This is a naturalistic study, but it also exemplifies the curiosity and the scientific method that took hold during that era. Note the artist's careful attention to detail, faithfully recording the insect's anatomical features, and representing the play of light on its exoskeleton. While this image may at first seem straightforward, it reflects a culture deeply engaged in exploration and the classification of the natural world. To learn more, one might study the economic history of Dutch trade, or look into the rise of entomology as a field of scientific inquiry. By doing so, we come to see this beetle as more than just a bug, it's a window onto a fascinating period of history.