Natura Mirabilis

The book opens with an essay by scholar Susana Neves, followed by twelve chapters devoted to individual works works from the Gulbenkian collection, each revealing a close connection between art, nature and science—from ornithology to hydrography, via herpetology, meteorology and ethnobotany. Drawn from different cultures, historical periods and artistic fields, these works shed light on the ways artists have looked at nature, at times adopting the outlook of a traveling naturalist, and in some cases that of an ecologist ahead of their time.

Some pieces demonstrate a surprisingly close alignment with contemporary scientific knowledge, even reflecting direct interactions between artists and scientists of their time. Others preserve the memory of a paradisiacal, untamed nature that has since vanished. Lavishly illustrated with the works held by the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, together with comparative historical iconography and photographs of the Foundation’s gardens, including the interior courtyards, the volume is further enriched by contributions by the museum’s curators.