I stumbled across the artwork of Lea Bradovich last month, and was knocked out. Insects merged with the sumptuous details of Botticelli and other Renaissance painters! What was the inspiration for this fascinating work?

I talked to Bradovich about the motivation for her insect and bird paintings, which she’s been creating since 2004.

She’s a self-described “portrait wonk” and came up with the idea of a nature allegory; the natural world expressed in headgear and clothing.

Hats in her work display life cycles, food sources, and sometimes predators.

The Renaissance style of rich saturated colors and symbolic meanings seemed like a natural match:

Ladies of the Queen Bee’s Court. Lea Bradovich

See more via Art, Science, and an Insect Renaissance | Science Blogs | WIRED.