Meet Me In Paris

Meet me in Paris at the Jardin des Plantes at the National Museum of Natural History, Place Valhubert, 5th arrondissement.  Together we will admire the wonderment of the Cabinet Bonnier de la Mosson.  "A unique manifestation of the intersection between aesthetics and science".  Dating back to 1735 the flora and fauna are fantastic and encased in the most beautifully carved cabinet.

Celeste Olalquiaga's well written column about the history of the cabinet, it's owner and it's place in society is worth the read.  Be sure to take a look at all the beautiful photographs by Joanna Ebenstein which can be found on her blog Morbid Anatomy and on her Flicker page astropop.

Photos above are from Morbid Anatomy's website.  Photo below is from Cabinet Magazine's article by Celeste Olalquiaga.

Nervous System

Awe inspiring Nervous System use advanced technology and algorithms to simulate and mimic forms from nature and produce the most amazing intricate jewelry using high tech equipment.  Their research and process is very interesting and I might find myself reading their entire blog.

Art Forms of Nature

One of my go to books.  Ernst Haekels' illustrations of bizarre sea creatures is an artist's dream.

Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel – born February 16, 1834, died August 9, 1919.  Duplication of his work has been prolific recently as his work is now in public domain.  Ernst was an eminent German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist.  He discovered, documented and named thousands of new species.  His publication Kunstfomen der Natur (Artforms of Nature) included over 100 detailed and colored illustrations of animals and sea creatures.

Plant Pockets

Found these plant pockets with succulents on South La Brea near 1st street.

The Bees Knees

Last year researchers found the nests of the bee Osmia avosetta in Turkey and Iran build nests layered with colorful flower petals.  The female bee digs a tunnel in the soil and then collects whole flower petals by biting them off of local flowers.  She takes the petals back to the nest and layers them with a thin middle layer of mud to create a cavity for her eggs and provisions.  The nests are beautiful natural art forms.

 

These photos are taken from the researcher’s abstract published by the American Museum of Natural History.  The full abstract can be found with on the American Museum of Natural History Research Library site along with the captions for the numbered photos.

 

 

Amazing Minerals

More amazing mineral lithographs.  These are from France 1780s, framed 15" wide x 20" high.  No additional information as to the naturalist or book these originated from.  Available from GRIS through 1stdibs.

Amazing Minerals

These amazing, detailed minerals in watercolor and gouache were painted by Viscount Alexandre-Isadore Leroy de Barde in 1813.  He was just in his 30's and already well recognized as a virtuoso in his 20's.  The mineral painting, shell painting below and another of birds in the series were purchased by Louis XVIII and are in the Louvre Museum in Paris.  In later years Leroy de Barde opened a private museum of natural history in Paris.