Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist and Pioneer

Join MA-NMWA for a tour of “Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer” led by Dr. Antien Knaap, Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Curator of Paintings, Art of Europe, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

“Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer” is the first comprehensive solo exhibition dedicated to the artist. It brings together 35 of her finest paintings from museums and private lenders across the United States and Europe alongside plant and insect specimens as well as work by other female artists, including Anna Ruysch, Maria Sibylla Merian, and Alida Withoos. Seeing these provocative juxtapositions, visitors can gain insight into the central role women played in the production of scientific knowledge in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.

As global trade routes expanded in the 17th century, thousands of new plant specimens arrived in the Netherlands for cultivation in greenhouses and botanical gardens. Ruysch was among the first artists to introduce new species, from passionflowers to cacti, into her flower still lifes. Merging art and science, these paintings are far from just decorative; they’re riddles, hints of a deeper understanding of the natural world. They speak of survival and loss, the delicate balance between beauty and violence, and the deeper narratives of colonial expansion unfolding beneath the surface. 

More details on registration for this event, for both MA-NMWA Members and Guests, to follow.