Ernst Haeckel, biology and art, Haarlem exhibition

In Teylers Museum in Haarlem in the Netherlands, there is a special exhibition.

The museum writes about it (translated):

June 1, 2019 to December 8, 2019

In honour of his 100th year of death, the Teylers Museum highlights the wonderful visual world of German zoologist and artist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919). Haeckel was one of the most important scientists of his time and a very gifted draftsman. Just like his great heroes Goethe and Von Humboldt, he wanted to understand nature in its great context. He used emotion and reason, art and science.

Haeckel’s first research was about micro-organisms from the sea, but ultimately his theories were about the development of all life forms, including humans. His books and his powerful visual language played a major role in spreading Darwin‘s ideas about descent and evolution. His Kunstformen der Natur in particular was a huge success and inspired artists and architects. This work is completely digitized and can be admired online. More than 20 plates from the book can be seen in the exhibition.