Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal Volume 6 | Issue 2 Article 1 July 2019 Microcosms: An Examination of Insects in 17th- Century Dutch Still Lifes Olivia Carlson University of Minnesota - Morris Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/horizons Part of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons Recommended Citation Carlson, Olivia (2019) "Microcosms: An Examination of Insects in 17th-Century Dutch Still Lifes," Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal: Vol. 6 : Iss. 2 , Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/horizons/vol6/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal by an authorized editor of University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Carlson: Microcosms Olivia Carlson, UROP Project, May 2019 Microcosms: An Examination of Insects in 17th-Century Dutch Still Lifes Introduction There are many 17th-century Dutch flower still life paintings, and if you pass by one quickly during a visit at a museum, you may see nothing more than a bouquet of arranged flowers. But if you stop at one and look long enough, you will find visual treats that would have been missed when only glancing at the piece. Maybe you’d see the careful composition, or perhaps a shell or a figurine. Most often, however, you will discover insects; some are hidden in the bouquet, and some are very prominently displayed on top of the flowers or on a ledge.