Léon Becker

Little is known about the Belgian artist Léon Becker except that he worked occasionally as an illustrator for the periodical Le Monde Illustré and composed a number of scientific articles on the subject of insects in Belgium and the Netherlands. Those two interests merge in this drawing, in which the artist depicts a fantastical party where insects, portrayed as members of high society, socialize and dance amongst the luxuriant blades of grass. To the right, an orchestra creates music, while in the center a waiter serves refreshments to a beautiful moth and her companions. Also at center, two beetles walk away from the viewer toward a large, tentacled crowd, perhaps to begin the dance. At left, a young “lady” is introduced to an admirer