Johannes Bronckhorst (or Jan (van) Bronkhorst), born in Leiden in 1648 and possibly the son of and taught by his father Pieter van Bronckhorst from an early age. When his father died however, the young Johannes, aged 15, was sent to Haarlem, where he was trained as pastry baker in a shop owned by his cousin. He kept on drawing as a hobby, and eventually moved to Hoorn in 1670, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

Although Bronckhorst continued to work as a pastry baker, he was a prolific draughtsman and his watercolors of plants, birds and insects became very much sought after, some were even published as engravings. Bronckhorst taught several pupils, the most famous amongst which was Herman Henstenburgh in Hoorn, who shared his occupation foremost as a pastry baker. Around 1650, the first cabinets of curiosity were introduced in the Netherlands with taxidermied birds, prepared butterflies, shells, minerals and fossils.

At the end of the seventeenth century, and especially in the early eighteenth century, many collectors commissioned artists to paint their naturalia. These watercolors were kept in portfolios and used to show to visitors. Agnes Block’s (1629-1704) country estate Vijverhof aan de Vecht showcased exotic birds and plants as well as prepared butterflies of which she commissioned drawings. Many artists, including Bronckhorst, worked for Block, who commissioned drawings of her plants, birds and butterflies.

Although the origin of this drawing is unknown, possibly the insects were just selected for its balanced and colorful composition. The rendering of a cicada, a cereal-leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus), a harlequin ladybird, a spiny orb-weaver spider, an Asian longhorn beetle, a red rhinoceros beetle, a rosemary beetle, another longhorn beetle, and a stick insect, are certainly executed after real specimen and true to size.