Bat with Outspread Wings
1523
Hans Holbein the Younger, famous for his glamorous portraits of Henry VIII, took a break from royalty to sketch this incredibly detailed bat in 1523. The creature is depicted flat with its wings fully spread, revealing the delicate, vein-like structure of the translucent membrane and the sharp little claws at the joints. It's a fascinating glimpse into Renaissance scientific observation, showing that artists were just as interested in the anatomy of 'creepy' creatures as they were in human faces. This study feels almost like a page from a naturalist's field guide, centuries before the term even existed.
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