Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.13826

    Theatre of Nature

    Date
    1719
    Creator
    [?] Jan van Vianen (1660 - 1726, Dutch) , Draughtsman
    After
    Romeyn de Hooghe (1645 - 1708, Dutch) , [?]
    Object type
    Library reference
    RCNR65067
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 246mm
    width (print): 327mm
    Subject
    Description
    Interior view of the wonders of nature theatre of Levinus Vincent. The perspective view shows groups of mainly gentlemen, with some ladies, inspecting the contents of twelve cabinets, removing drawers and books to inspect on central tables. These are filled with decoratively arranged natural history specimens. Jars of wet specimens are shelved on walls to the left (as viewed) with human rarities above and a central display of corals. On the right wall are pictorial presentations of insects and birds. Among the visitors, to the left of the scene, are two Moorish gentlemen, apparently in conversation.

    Plate from the book Elenchus tabularum, pinacothecarum, atque nonnullorum cimeliorum, in gazophylacio Levini Vincent, by Levinus Vincent (Haarlem, 1719).

    Inscribed above: ‘WONDER TOONEL DER NATURE.’ Inscribed below: THEATRE DES MERVEILLES DE LA NATURE.’ The plate has no artist or engraver details.

    Accompanying text in Latin and French states that: ‘The second plate, which is at the head of the second volume, or of the series of wonders of nature, which is printed in Dutch, represents the present state and the marvellous diversity, and the infinite number of the rarest things. contained in the 12 cabinets.’

    Levinus (or Levin) Vincent (1658-1727) Dutch merchant and collector.
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > Netherlands
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