Rachel Ruysch: Nature Into Art

This catalog accompanies the exhibition Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art, jointly organized by the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This is the first major monographic exhibition devoted to Rachel Ruysch (1664–1750), the most prominent female still-life painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Known for her exquisite floral compositions and scientific precision, Ruysch blended art and nature with extraordinary skill, influenced in part by her upbringing as the daughter of renowned anatomist and botanist Frederik Ruysch.

The catalog features essays by leading scholars on Ruysch’s artistic career, her pioneering role as a woman artist, and the naturalistic and scientific context of her paintings. With 170 full-color illustrations, detailed analyses of key works, and an index of the flora and fauna featured in her paintings, the book provides an essential overview of her groundbreaking contributions to still-life painting.