Featuring professional scientific illustrator Katherine Brown-Wing, the series will examine depictions of nature from cave paintings to contemporary illustration. "It's a sort of greatest hits of natural history illustration, from the viewpoint of a working illustrator," Brown-Wing says.

Before photography, scientific illustrations were essential for the communication of information, ensuring a demand for illustrators' work. "With advances in printing techniques, illustrations became available to the general public," Brown-Wing explains, and the demand rose. With this increase in interest, artists had ample opportunities for work. "They could afford to really take time with their illustrations," says Brown-Wing. The result was luminous, life-like illustrations, from the vibrant roses of Redoute to the gripping wildlife scenes of Audubon.

The lecture series starts with a slide-show overview and then moves to Harvard's own collections of illustrations. In the Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology's Special Collections, for example, students will view original work by Audubon, John Singer Sargent, and others. "This is a great opportunity to view work that's not generally available to the public," says Brown-Wing.

The series will wind up with a panel discussion on March 23 of contemporary scientific illustration. Panelists will discuss the challenges of working as an illustrator and the changes in the field. With current technology, illustrations can be quickly and inexpensively reproduced, without the knowledge of the artist. "Copyright infringements are rampant," comments Brown-Wing, "so it's important to know about the sources of work."

For more information, contact the Harvard Museum of Natural History's Public Programs Office at (617) 496-8204.