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Research: Design in Nature

Today we are featuring insect plates from Research: Design in Nature, edited by John Gilbert Wilkins, published by the Field Museum of Natural History and the School of the Art Institute Chicago in 1924. The portfolio features over 200 leaves of plates that were printed in the Field Museum pressroom. The drawings featured in the plates were created by many different artists, including some of Wilkins’ students. The plates are photogravures, and Wilkins notes that “it is possibly the best method of reproducing the soft pleasing effects of the pencil renderings.”

Research: Design in Nature includes a wide variety of plant and animal drawings, highlighting the design elements that can be found in nature. Today we are focusing on insects because they show both the horrifying and beautiful aspects of the natural world.

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Saturnia pavonia - Emperor moth

Family: Saturniidae

1. Bunaeopsis arabella

2. Bunaeopsis sp.

Automeris lauta - Fashionable eyed silkmoth

Graellsia isabellae × Actias dubernardi hybrid

Tolype velleda - Large tolype