Alexander von Humboldt was not only a scientist and writer, but also a draftsman and graphic artist. His estates in Berlin and Krakow contain hundreds of drawings presenting natural objects, works of art and technical devices: A graphic cabinet of curiosities. This material is now presented in print for the first time: The graphic work presents 316 colour illustrations. For the first time, the volume makes it possible to compare the drawings with the corresponding engravings printed on their basis, thus making the process of the creation of Humboldt’s works comprehensible. This gives us an insight into Humboldt’s picture-workshop. Humboldt’s drawings not only had the function of depicting objects of research of natural history in a naturalistic way.
In addition, they served as models for the creation of new knowledge. Humboldt communicated the results of his research to the public with the help of diagrams and infographics.
The editors, Dominik Erdmann and Oliver Lubrich, will present Humboldt’s drawings on 30 October at 7 p.m. in the Wunderkammer Olbricht in the me Collectors Room in Berlin.
In German language / Admission free Registration under: registration@me-berlin.com
Picture: Alexander von Humboldt, „Cacajao“ (Simia melanocephala), o.O., 1800, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz Nachl. Alexander von Humboldt gr. Kasten 6, Nr. 25 Bl. 1r_.
