Great Naturalists

February 8–May 5, 2019

Great naturalists experimented, collected, described, and classified living things searching for order as a means to understand the natural world. These were important figures in the early years of natural history as it changed from a mainly amateur pursuit to today’s specialized scientific profession. Modern natural science was built on the work of those who went before. Some were gifted artists themselves and others commissioned illustrations for publication. Their portraits are shown with original engravings and lithographs from our art collection.