A Bumble Bee and a Fulgoroid

This Dutch drawing, likely made in the seventeenth century, illustrates a new interest in observing and documenting insects, which were deemed unworthy of serious study in previous periods. The small size of the sheet is well suited to its subjects, though it is unclear whether the drawing's current dimensions were part of the artist's original conception.

Credit: Bequest of Catherine G. Curran, 2008