1737
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Centipede (Scolopendra morsitans) is a 1737 ink by Mark Catesby, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a plant with big green leaves and a thick stem growing out of soil. The roots are exposed, and there’s a long, segmented creature crawling on the ground beneath it. Tiny buds and flowers appear on the plant’s branches, and a small beetle is perched on one leaf. The artist focused on detail, especially the centipede’s many legs and the plant’s roots. This kind of careful observation was common in scientific drawings of the time. Next, look up technique: etching.
Mark Catesby (24 March 1683 – 23 December 1749) was an English naturalist who studied the flora and fauna of the New World.
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