A video recording of Sandra Schachat's lecture for the GNSI-DC Chapter is now available on the GNSI's YouTube Channel and below.
Sandra R. Schachat's work combines insect evolution and visual evidence in various ways: she has studied the evolution of moth and butterfly wing patterns, has examined fossil leaves for evidence of insect feeding, and has explored how the history of art can be used to understand evolving societal attitudes toward insects.
In this video, she discusses the work of J.J. Grandville, an early- to mid-nineteenth-century French graphic artist who is best known for his depictions of animals and for his dreamlike, “proto-Surrealist” imagery. Granville used his scientific illustration skills to imbue bizarre creatures with realistic qualities, giving life to the heretical ideas of early evolutionists.