The paintings of naturalists in the 'Age of Discovery' reminds us how important it is to study living creatures and their behaviour in their natural habitats.
Edinburgh this year (between 2 March 2007 and 16 September 2007), and London next year at Buckingham Palace, gives the general public an opportunity to see paintings and sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, Mark Catesby, Alexander Marshal and Maria Sibylla Merian. “There is a common denominator that links all these artists. It is the profound joy that all feel who observe the natural world with a sustained and devoted intensity.” (Sir David Attenborough).
Anyone who is interested in natural history should make the effort to get to one of these venues, or both (as I intend). Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and London has its attractions! The exhibition itself (Amazing Rare Things) will take up half a day if you read all the explanations, listen to the audio commentary and take a little time to reflect. I’m sure you will be able to find things to do for the rest of the trip – maybe including the Zoo and the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, or the Regents Park Zoo and Kew Gardens in London.
After absorbing the sheer beauty of the works exhibited I began to think about the ‘mind-set’ back then. A whole new world was beginning to open up for European Naturalists, and they attempted to classify everything they saw. The obsession with describing (and painting) every last detail has continued, and many who are interested in the natural world are still more concerned with the name of a creature than what it does. This is very unfortunate. At a time when the planet is undergoing major changes it is crucial that we begin to understand how biological systems actually work.
If taxonomy was the ‘watchword’ of the past, then ecology should be the one for the future.
