Chrysina Optima (Pink Jewel Scarab)

This small oil painting of the rare Chrysina optima—a luminous pink jewel beetle—was inspired by my time wandering museum collections and my means-long fascination with the quiet poetry of curated objects. Natural history displays have always felt like treasure cabinets to me, where science and beauty meet.

Known for its striking metallic rose-pink shell, Chrysina optima is one of the few beetles in the world with naturally occurring pink iridescence—a coloration that helps it blend into the rosy tones of tropical foliage.

Symbolically, beetles have long represented transformation, resilience, and the preservation of beauty across time. Painted at an intimate 4 × 4 scale, this piece invites a closer, slower look—like discovering a small, rare specimen tucked inside a collector’s drawer.

Details:

• Oil on canvas panel
• 4x4 inches
• Framed and ready to hang
• Signed on back
• Free US shipping
• Ships in 5-7 business days