An Artist Who Signed His Name With Caterpillars and Snakes

A framed artwork featuring the names 'Jan Van Lessel' created with colorful, intricate designs resembling various insects and creatures, dated 1664.

Most artists settle for a flourish of ink in the corner of a canvas. Seventeenth-century Flemish painter Jan van Kessel had other ideas.

A collection of various insects, caterpillars, and a snake, arranged artistically to form the words 'natural history,' with additional insects and arachnids surrounding the text.

In 1657, the Antwerp-based artist created one of the most unusual signatures in art history: a small painting in which his own name is spelled out entirely with caterpillars, snakes, and other creeping creatures.

An illustration featuring various colorful caterpillars and a snake, creatively arranged to form the letters of the word 'banana'.

The result is equal parts naturalist study, typographic experiment, and visual puzzle. (The Public Domain Review)

A serene interior scene featuring a seated woman with an elaborate dress and a cherubic child holding a basket of fruit, surrounded by artistic items like a painting, books, and musical instruments, with classical figures and sculptures in the background.

At first glance, the work appears almost decorative. Look closer, and the writhing forms reveal themselves as carefully arranged letters, each one assembled from the animals that fascinated van Kessel throughout his career.

Known for his exquisitely detailed studies of insects, flowers, and small creatures, the artist devoted much of his work to observing the natural world with scientific precision.

The painting measures only about 6 by 8 inches (15 × 20 cm), yet it captures an extraordinary amount of detail. Each caterpillar curls into place, every snake bends to serve the composition, transforming humble creatures into a playful act of self-identification. Rather than elevating himself through a grand signature, van Kessel used the very subjects he was best known for painting.

An illustration of various colorful caterpillars and an insect, depicting different species and stages of development. — The painting measures only about 6 by 8 inches (15 × 20 cm), yet it captures an extraordinary amount of detail.

Art historians believe the piece may not have been intended as a standalone work. Similar signature panels appear in larger groups of paintings from the period, suggesting it may have functioned as a whimsical calling card embedded within a broader series. Van Kessel would later revisit the concept in his celebrated Four Parts of the World, where the creature-made signature appears again as a painting within a painting. (The Public Domain Review)

More than 350 years later, the image still feels surprisingly modern. It blends illustration, typography, natural history, and personal branding into a single composition—a reminder that long before logos and social media avatars, artists were already finding inventive ways to leave their mark.

Source: The Public Domain Review . Via Kottke.