Albertus Seba. Cabinet of Natural Curiosities

"A powerful testament to nature's beauty and diversity." * Chicago Tribune * "Seba's whimsical, lushly detailed illustrations of snakes, butterflies, and myriad other creatures have a vintage charm that will seduce science buffs and aesthetes alike." * Vogue * "A gorgeous testament to the wonder with which the Old World surveyed the New." * The Wall Street Journal * "A vast and beguiling tome.... Any one of the reproductions could be framed as a picture in its own right." * The Times * "Snakes alive! What a cabinet of creepy-crawly curiosities." * The Independent * "A lavishly presented reprint." * The Art Newspaper *

Irmgard Musch, born in 1967, studied art history, history, and classical archaeology in Mainz and Berlin. Her PhD thesis from 1999 examines Johann Jakob Scheuchzer's Kupfer-Bibel, a richly illustrated scientific commentary on the Bible from the early 18th century. She has published on art of the 18th and 20th centuries, scientific illustrations, and Kunstkammer pieces. Jes Rust, born 1963, completed his studies in geology, paleontology, and zoology at Goettingen and Kiel. His thesis dealt with the evolution of fossil snails living in the fresh and brackish waters of prehistoric Greece. His assistantship at the Institute of Zoology in Goettingen between 1993 and 1999 was followed by his appointment in 2001 as professor of invertebrate paleontology and insect phylogeny at the University of Bonn. Rainer Willmann holds a chair in zoology at Goettingen University, is director of its Zoological Museum, and is cofounder of its Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research. A specialist in phylogenetics and evolution, he conducts research into biodiversity and its history.