Ancient Art and Natural History: An Evolutionary Timeline

From the birth of our solar system to man’s exploration of it, Hindman’s Ancient Art & Natural History: A Cabinet of Curiosities examines the natural wonders of our world and the evolution of our species within it. The inspiration came from Europe’s Age of Enlightenment and the creation of Wunderkammers. In 1565, Samuel Quiccheberg published his seminal work on the collection and display of objects titled Inscriptiones, which would later serve as the rationale for the world’s first encyclopedic museums. According to Quiccheberg, the ideal collection was ‘a theatre of the broadest scope, containing materials and precise reproductions of the whole universe’. Seen here is a timeline with wonderous objects sought to inspire others to develop their own cabinets of curiosities.