Down the hall from Hintze Hall, the Images of Nature Gallery (NHM information link) displays natural images important to their time. The artworks on display are both artistically inspiring, and scientifically accurate.
This oil painting of insects by Jan van Kessel the Elder is so rich with color and details, it drew me in to study its intricate beauty.
The drawing below by Bryan Kneale stopped me in my tracks.
Kneale rendered the Giant Tortoise's skeleton so well that I can feel the weight of the shell. At the same time, he conjured the noble life force that once animated these bones.
Further down the hall is the very modern Darwin Centre (NHM link here), where I found a quiet exhibit exploring the importance of backyard wildlife.
Inspired by Jan van Kessel the Elder and Bryan Kneale, I made a page of sketches, including a live pigeon & magpie outside the museum where I waited to meet up with my husband at the end of the day.
If you'd like to be an armchair travel journaler, here are some photos from the Natural History Museum of London for you to create with:
For more information about this specimen, you can visit the Joy of Museums Virtual Tour.
What if you took a bigger picture approach of this Giant Ground Sloth, beginning with a gesture of the larger shape, and adding shadows and light?
For more information on this extinct mammal, and a better photo of it, here's a link to an article on the Natural History Museum of London's website. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-was-megatherium.html
Happy sketching!
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