Still-life with Plants and Reptiles

Marseus van Schrieck developed a subgenre of reptile-insect-and-plant paintings. In this painting that combines animals and plants typical for August, he made an impression of butterfly wings into the paint, to achieve lifelike texture, and implanted at least one leg of a fly. Marseus van Schrieck may have developed these interest in the lively scientific culture of Rome, where he met Samuel van Hoogstraten in 1652.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 2 minutes):

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: The Flight of the Bumble Bee