Larger Spotted Beach Leaf Edge Caterpillar

Emma Beach Thayer and Gerald H. Thayer's watercolor "Larger Spotted Beach Leaf Edge Caterpillar" is a remarkable collaboration between Emma Beach Thayer and her stepson Gerald H. Thayer. This piece, featuring a green caterpillar meticulously rendered on a thin branch against a dark background, exemplifies the Thayer family's dedication to illustrating animal camouflage. It demonstrates the artistic technique of reverse countershading to highlight how changing typical shading patterns can make a subject more visible in its surroundings.

This artwork was created for the controversial book "Concealing Coloration in the Animal Kingdom," published in 1909. While ostensibly authored by Gerald H. Thayer, the book was in fact a collaborative effort that completed the work of his father, Abbott Handerson Thayer. Abbott, Emma's husband, opposed Charles Darwin's theory of sexual selection, asserting through both words and paintings that all animal coloration, even seemingly conspicuous features like peacock tails or the brilliant pink of flamingoes, served the purpose of camouflage. However, the book misleads readers by omitting that many scenes were artificially constructed using taxidermied specimens and colors not based on real-world natural habitats. This artwork serves as an example of artistic and scientific misdirection, supporting Abbott Thayer's incorrect theory that animal coloration is solely for camouflage from predators. While the book faced criticism from figures like big game hunter Theodore Roosevelt for its sweeping claims, Abbott garnered support from respected scientists such as evolutionary biologist Edward Poulton, which resulted in an intricate interactive exhibit at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Gerald, as both co-author and illustrator, played a crucial role in bringing his father's ideas to fruition, despite the misleading and erroneous nature of Abbott's theories. Emma's contributions included this joint work with Gerald and her paintings of backgrounds for many of the book's plates.