Exhibition Announcement

Currently on view at Arader Galleries’ flagship location at 1016 Madison Avenue is an exhibition of original natural history watercolors drawn by the great masters of the last 450 years.  Our ancient human passion to understand our living world comes into sharp focus with these splendid works on paper and vellum. 

The thunderclap that instigates the greatest creativity is the publication in 1735 of the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus’ System of Nature.  He brings great direction to this passion because for the first time there is a firm place for everything.  

 

The masterworks in this show predating 1735 are simply beautiful.   But what is produced afterward is magnificent because the artist had a sure understanding of what he was seeing.   This flush of confidence imbued artists with a firm hand that gives a glow to all that they produced.

These pictures from the Renaissance to modern times are what gave us confidence that our world had an order.

Artists include:

Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues (circa 1533-1588)

Jacob Hoefnagel (Antwerp 1575-ca. 1630)

Album d'Authal from the Croÿ Collection by artist Adrien de Montigny, 1596 – 1598

Giovanna Garzoni (Ascoli Piceno 1600-1670 Rome)

School of Anthony Claesz II (ca.1616-1652)

Vincenzo Leonardi (fl.1621-1646)

Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647-1717)

Johanna Helena Graffe (German, b. 1668)

Herman Henstenburgh (1667-1726)

17th Century  French School

Barbara Regina Dietzsch (1706-1783)

Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840)

Early 19th CenturyViennese School

Baldassare Cattrani (Fl. 1776 to 1810)

Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892)

Edward Dalton Smith (Fl. 1820s - 1840s)

Oakes Ames (1874 - 1950) / Charles Storer

Margaret Mee (1909-1988)

Jenny Phillips (1947 - )

Catalog available