Jan Goedart

Who was Jan Goedart?

Jan Goedart was a Dutch painter famous for his illustrations of insects.

Goedart was born in Middelburg. He published, in his birthplace, a book entitled Metamorphosis and historia naturalis between 1662 and 1667. For the first time, insects were represented using the technique of engraving after his drawings. Metamorphosis was translated into French in 1700 under the title of Histoire des Insectes, in English History of Insects. It shows meticulous observation of all the growth phases of the insects depicted, including metamorphosis. There is no internal anatomy, only external. Goedhart makes an interesting error, indicating moth caterpillars can produce flies. Presumably he meant Ichneumonidae.