Art Guide · Painters
Maria Sibylla Merian
1647–1717
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) was a German naturalist and artist who painted the metamorphosis of insects together with the plants they feed on. Her book based on observations in Suriname is a masterpiece of natural history illustration.
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Life and work
Born in Frankfurt, she learned to paint from her stepfather, the painter Jacob Marrel, and raised and observed caterpillars from childhood. In 1699 she travelled with her daughter to the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America, studying plants and insects there for two years.
Published in 1705, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium shows the life cycles of insects with their host plants across 60 plates. Merian once appeared on Germany’s 500 Deutsche Mark banknote.
Key works
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Why is Merian important?
She was one of the first naturalists to document insect metamorphosis in context, with the plants insects feed on; her work holds a place in both the history of science and of art.