Breeding and Depicting Chameleons between the Court of Louis XIV and the Port of Livorno

During the second half of the 17th century scientists tried to better understand the nature of chameleons, with the aim of refuting ancient tales that described the animal as fed only by air and capable of blending into the environment. Two attempts in breeding and studying chame- leons are noteworthy. The first was made at the court of Louis XIV by Claude Perrault, the other, which is the topic of this contribution, was led in the Tuscan port of Livorno by the naturalist Giacinto Cestoni. Cestoni’s studies on chameleons, published in 1715 by Antonio Vallisneri, were a direct response to the earlier French publication. He tried to differentiate his work by high- lighting his care for the animals and the constant search for good and precise illustrations. While the relationship between text and images in the French volume has been extensively studied, Cestoni’s research has never been assessed from an art historical perspective. Cestoni relied on draughtsmen whom he named in his private correspondence with Vallisneri; however, only one of them was a professional artist specialized in still-life painting, while the other two – both belonging to the Jewish community in Livorno – were respectively a goldsmith and a naval in- surer. In outlining the different approaches towards naturalistic research, this contribution aims to cast further light on the collaboration between scientists and draughtsmen at the end of the 17th century focusing on the underestimated importance of Livorno in the exchange of ideas on flora and fauna across Europe.