?/20

About this artwork

height 119 mm x width 232 mm

Art Historical Context

Johan Teyler (1648–1709), a Dutch Golden Age artist renowned for his meticulous scientific illustrations, created this pen drawing titled *?/20* between 1679 and 1683. Active during the Netherlands' prosperous era of exploration and scholarship, Teyler specialized in natural history studies, detailed depictions of shells, insects, and exotic specimens. This compact work, measuring just 119 mm high by 232 mm wide, exemplifies the era's fascination with the natural world, blending art with emerging scientific inquiry. Executed in pen—likely iron gall ink on paper, a favored medium for its preci...

About the Artist

Johan Teyler · 1648–1697

Johannes (Johan) Teyler (1648–c.1709) was a Dutch Golden Age figure who achieved lasting significance not as a professional artist but as an innovative entrepreneur, mathematician, and promoter of color printmaking. Born in Nijmegen on May 23, 1648, Teyler was educated as a philosopher and mathematician and pursued a career as a military engineer rather than as a painter or printmaker. Nevertheles...