Nature Mourant: Bosschaert’s Leaves,
Merian’s Caterpillars
Dublin Core
Title
Nature Mourant: Bosschaert’s Leaves,
Merian’s Caterpillars
Merian’s Caterpillars
Subject
Dutch still-life painting; Global trade; Seventeenth-century art; Artistic realism; Colonialism in art
Description
In this excerpt, Berger analyzes the symbolism in Dutch still life paintings, focusing on the depiction of nature’s fragility and the subtle themes of colonialism and exploitation embedded in these works. He discusses the contrast between the beauty of flowers and the predation of insects like caterpillars in works by artists like Ambrosius Bosschaert and Maria Sibylla Merian.
Creator
Harry Berger
Source
Caterpillage: Reflections on Seventeenth-Century Dutch Still-Life Painting
Publisher
Fordham University Press
Date
2011
Contributor
Helen Tartar; Thomas C. Lay; Katie Sweeney; Helen Hill
Rights
© 2011 Fordham University Press
Format
Text; PDF
Language
English
Type
Book chapter
Identifier
ISBN 9780823291113
Coverage
Netherlands, 17th century; Global trade networks; Dutch Art
Text Item Type Metadata
Original Format
book chapter
Citation
Harry Berger, “Nature Mourant: Bosschaert’s Leaves,
Merian’s Caterpillars,” Omeka, accessed February 6, 2026, https://omeka.ischool.utoronto.ca/items/show/402.
Merian’s Caterpillars,” Omeka, accessed February 6, 2026, https://omeka.ischool.utoronto.ca/items/show/402.