Spinnenkoppen Possibly 1785

This drawing of spider heads comes from the hand of Jan Brandes, around 1785. It's made with graphite and watercolor on paper. The process is painstaking: each tiny hair and facet of the spider’s eyes has been meticulously rendered. The image is accompanied by the artist’s handwritten notes, describing his observations of spiders in Batavia, now Jakarta, using a microscope. The drawing thus speaks to the expansion of scientific knowledge during the Enlightenment, and the role of careful observation in unlocking nature’s secrets. Brandes’ work also tells us about the Dutch colonial project. Natural specimens were collected, classified and studied, often with local, Indigenous expertise, and these were added to the growing body of European scientific knowledge. The detailed rendering invites us to marvel at the intricate design of even the smallest creatures. It reminds us that art and craft can play a vital role in scientific exploration, and that the materials and techniques used can shape our understanding of the world around us.