From a ‘domestic commodity’ to a ‘secret of trade’: snails and shells of land molluscs in early (mainly 16th and 17th century) visual arts

Species of land snails and slugs may be found on paintings and other works of visual arts from the late 15th century onwards. While in the beginning the illustrations were often imprecise, this changed in the late 16th century and most species were realistically illustrated. This was especially so during the 17th century, when still-life painting including one or more snails became well developed in Flanders and the Netherlands. We have checked 582 works of art, the majority showing European species, of which five related to slugs; 45 of these works have one or more species originating from tropical regions. During the 16th/17th century nearly all paintings and a majority of drawings analysed accurately illustrated snails with regard to chirality.