Conus at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam:
The following internet site came to my attention and contains a
treasure-trove of art that is just a click away! Here you can take a virtual
tour of Amsterdam's premier museum. Click Collection then Tour to begin.
Immersive QuickTime 3D images let you spin around in space to view paintings
of the 17th-century Dutch Republic and Golden Age, including works by
Rembrandt and Vermeer plus Frans Hals and Jan Steen.
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/

Rembrant (1606 - 1669) owned an extensive collection of art and curiosities
(including shells) which he employed in his compositions. But only once did
he make an etching based on an object in this collection. There are two
prints of the etching of a marbled cone shell (Conus marmoreus) by Rembrant
available for viewing - one lighter the other darker.

I have placed direct links to these images on my "What's New" page of my
Cone Shell and Conotoxins HomePage
http://grimwade.biochem.unimelb.edu.au/cone/

Rembrandt selected the most interesting angle for the depiction: showing
both the spiral at the top and the opening at the side. But he paid little
heed to the laws of nature. Because of the print process, the impression in
the picture is back to front: the whorl of the shell is anti-clockwise
(sinistral instead of dextral). This rarely occurs in real life and to my
knowledge has not been reported for Conus marmoreus. On the other hand,
Rembrandt remembered to sign and date the work in mirror-image on the plate.
(Click on zoom for a larger image that you can move around with your mouse;
or look at the link I have provided to an Enlarged Image of Conus
marmoreus).

Balthasar van der Ast (1593 - 1657) is another artist who depicted cones in
his paintings : Exotic shells were a favourite item in still life paintings,
often in combination with large bouquets of flowers, as in the two floral
still life paintings depicting a Conus striatus and a Conus pennaceus by
Balthasar van der Ast. [Look at base of vase for the shells, one of which
appears to be a Conus striatus and in the other a Conus pennaceus. Zoom and
scroll image up or click on the links I have provided to Enlarged Images of
the paintings containing Conus striatus and Conus pennaceus].

HELP
I need help from CONCH-L members to confirm that my identification of the
cones in these two paintings are in fact Conus striatus and Conus pennaceus.
Could you please take a look at the two paintings by Balthasar van der Ast
and let me know whether I have got it right - and if not the correct name(s)
of the Conus species depicted. Again, links to these images are on the
'What's New' page (entry for 29 August) at
http://grimwade.biochem.unimelb.edu.au/cone/newlog.html


I know you are going to enjoy this Rijksmuseum site. If anyone finds shells
depicted in other art works at this site please let us all know about it.

Cheers,   Bruce Livett

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