Fantastic anatomical drawings of flora & fauna depict death & renewal

Combining realism with an otherworldly aesthetic, these artworks remind us of the interconnectedness of all life.

Sometimes it’s not apparent to our eyes, but everything on Earth and in the universe is interconnected and interdependent upon one another. This truth can show up in remarkable ways, like discovering that millions of tons of sand from the Sahara desert migrates each year over the ocean to feed plants in the Amazon rainforest.

This fundamental theme of interconnection can be expressed in art too, as Italian artist Nunzio Paci does with works, done with graphite and acrylic paints, and depicting anatomical details of wildlife, along with colourful explosions of flowers, plants and fungi.

© Nunzio Paci

© Nunzio Paci

Paci’s artworks are realistic yet fantastical, reflecting the artistic traditions of the Baroque and the Renaissance periods, yet also incorporating scientific knowledge of anatomy, botany, medicine and taxidermy.

© Nunzio Paci

© Nunzio Paci

But in addition to Paci’s fascination with “the body — human, animal, vegetable — in all its transitions: mutation and hybridization, decline and regeneration” — he also brings in more sublime themes of spiritual regeneration, as expressed in the ethereal luminescence that pervades his subjects.

© Nunzio Paci