Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer

This is the first comprehensive solo exhibition dedicated to Rachel Ruysch. It brings together 35 of her finest paintings from museums and private lenders across the United States and Europe alongside plant and insect specimens as well as work by other female artists, including Anna Ruysch, Maria Sibylla Merian, and Alida Withoos. Seeing these provocative juxtapositions, visitors can gain insight into the central role women played in the production of scientific knowledge in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.

As global trade routes expanded in the 17th century, thousands of new plant specimens arrived in the Netherlands for cultivation in greenhouses and botanical gardens. Ruysch was among the first artists to introduce new species, from passionflowers to cacti, into her flower still lifes. Merging art and science, these paintings are far from just decorative; they’re riddles, hints of a deeper understanding of the natural world.

The exhibition takes place at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, from August 23 – December 7, 2025.

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