Specimen 001

Wood-burning on birch panel, gold leaf, acrylic

image: 11.5" x 9"

As early as the 16th-century people began displaying collections art, specimens from the natural world (sometimes fake), geology, religious relics, etc. as a way to entertain and also show rank in society. These collections were often presented as illustrations of the collector's travels, philosophies, and knowledge, even when the information or items in the collection were fictional.