Curator’s Choice: The Work of Albertus Seba

A splendid menagerie of natural history specimens filled four large volumes of Albertus Seba’s 18th century publication Thesaurus or Cabinet of Curiosities. A Dutch pharmacist and collector of curiosities, Seba amassed a vast collection of exotic natural objects by trading medicine and services to sailors at the port of Amsterdam as ships arrived from the Dutch East Indies.

He commissioned artists to draw, engrave, and print his specimens. Many had been transported on ships in jars of alcohol to preserve them, and the resulting illustrations were not always faithful to reality. The nearly 500 plates in the work ranged from the beautiful to the bizarre. Included were birds, snakes, insects, shells, exotic sea life, bats, and anteaters, as well as exotic plants.

Easily recognizable for the bold engraving style and odd juxtaposition of subjects on a plate, the images reflect an age of curiosity and discovery.