Artsology

Diorama drawings at the Museum of Natural History

We visited the Natural History Museum and were enjoying the dioramas, when I suddenly found myself quite entranced with the drawings that accompanied each diorama, explaining what all the animals and plants were. In the dark room, these small yellow drawings glowed, and the more I focused on them, the more abstract they became, especially when viewed independently of the actual dioramas. Scroll down and check out a collection of the diorama drawings.

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Our first pair here is from the African Wild Dogs diorama, with the drawing at left at a slightly different angle than the photographic detail at right, but I think you get the idea of how these match up.

African Wild Dog diorama at the Natural History Museum

I think one of the reasons why I liked these diorama drawings so much is because their simple lines - and the light-colored lines on a dark background - reminds me of Keith Haring subway drawings.

examples of Keith Haring subway drawings, chalk on black paper, NYC

All right, let's look at some more of the diorama drawings, and let's see if you can find the various things I mention within the drawings.

Can you find 3 rhinos in here?

a rhino diorama drawing from the Natural History Museum

Can you find all 5 animals in here?

a diorama drawing from the Natural History Museum

Can you find 4 monkeys in here?

a monkey diorama drawing at the Natural History Museum

Can you find the deer standing on its hind legs?

an animal diorama drawing at the Natural History Museum

Can you find all 6 animals?

a diorama drawing with 6 animals at the Natural History Museum

Can you find the two stalking leopards?

a leopard diorama drawing at the Natural History Museum

Even though this feature has been about the diorama drawings, I have to throw in one more picture of an actual diorama in order to point out something else - check out how big, detailed, and amazing the background painting is for one of these dioramas! And look how well they make the transition from the physical grasses to the painted grasses ... it's almost seamless!

Maybe it's just me, but I find the drawings and background paintings to be more-interesting than the taxidermied animals!

a look at a diorama background painting at the Natural History Museum

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