Conservation is a Logic of Love

Please join us for a conversation on the intersection of art, conservation, and science with artist Dario Robleto, the National Gallery of Art's chief of conservation Lena Stringari, conservator Michelle Facini, and imaging scientist John Delaney. Together, they will explore the fragility of art and the natural world and discuss the empathy and ethics involved in preserving materials and memories.

This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World.

About Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World: Experience the wonder of nature through the eyes of artists. Look closely at art depicting insects and other animals alongside real specimens.

Art played a pivotal role during the dawn of European natural history in the 16th and 17th centuries. Advancements in scientific technology, trade, and colonial expansion allowed naturalists to study previously unknown and overlooked insects, animals, and other beestjes, or “little beasts.”  

A delight for all ages, this exhibition features nearly 75 of these paintings, prints, and drawings in a unique presentation alongside specimens and taxidermy from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Learn about the rich exchange between artists and naturalists that sparked a fascination with earth’s living creatures, big and small. See how this intersection of art and science continues to inspire us today in a new film by Robleto.