Art Forms in Nature (or maybe not)

In the past, we used to rely on artists to bring us into the mysterious world of biology. In the 1500’s, Leonardo da Vinci revealed the glories of human anatomy. And around 1900, a German biologist named Ernst Haeckel used his incredible drawings of microbes and larger creatures to promote his ideas about evolution. The public loved Haeckel’s work, but the artist in Haeckel eventually came into conflict with the scientist. Harvard zoologist James Hanken and artist David Brody explain. [Produced for PRI‘s “Studio 360“.]

Ernst Haeckl, Plate 23 from “Kunstformen der Natur”.

Music featured:

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