A CABINET OF WONDERS

The most comprehensive presentation of the George Loudon collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century scientific artefacts as well as paintings and other works of art. The book is based on the exhibition A Cabinet of Wonders at the Palazzo Grimani, Venice.

A Cabinet of Wonders: a Celebration of Art in Nature is the most comprehensive presentation of the George Loudon collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century scientific artefacts to date. Today, this ever-growing collection numbers more than 200 pieces, including teaching models, anatomical specimens, taxidermy, books, prints and drawings. These objects, largely scientific but exquisitely made, are crafted from glass, wax, minerals, papier-mâché, fabric, ivory and more.

The book presents the works currently on display at the Museo di Palazzo Grimani in Venice, former residence of Giovanni Grimani, one of the city’s foremost collectors. The palace is undergoing its own renaissance as Grimani’s collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, bequeathed to the city of Venice following his death in 1593, was returned in 2019 and reinstalled in the building.

With around 200 works, the book focuses on the theme of collecting. In the first two chapters, running parallel to the exhibits of the Loudon collection, are objects arranged in the style of a 16th or 17th century Venetian cabinet. These include not just “curiosities” but also Venetian enamel and maiolica, paintings by the likes of Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese, alongside loans from international institutions such as Vienna’s MAK Museum of Applied Arts. The book also draws connections between Loudon’s sensitivity and that of a 16th-century humanist such as Grimani; although separated by centuries, they were both motivated by a profound love of nature.