To emerge a butterfly, a caterpillar dissolves inside its chrysalis and builds a brand new brain, wings, and legs. But butterflies aren’t alone. A stunning three-quarters of all animal species undergo dramatic metamorphoses. Why must creatures go through massive destruction and remodeling to become who they are? This scientific question has preoccupied humans for millennia. It has been accompanied by an abiding fascination with the theme of metamorphosis in philosophy, literature, music and the arts. Looking at the long cultural history of metamorphosis alongside the gradual scientific unravelling of the mystery teaches us how what we wish to think of ourselves and how we come to see the world around us remain hopelessly intertwined, yet again highlighting the fascinating relationship between science and art.