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Before Darwin, before Audubon, there was Maria Sibylla Merian. An artist turned naturalist known for her botanical illustrations, Merian was born just sixteen years after Galileo proclaimed that the earth orbited the sun. But at the age of fifty, she sailed from Europe to the New World on a solo scientific expedition to study insect metamorphosis—an unheard-of journey for any naturalist at that time, much less a woman. When she returned, she produced a book that secured her reputation, only to have it savaged in the nineteenth century by scientists who disdained the work of “amateurs.” Exquisitely written and illustrated, Chrysalis takes us from golden-age Amsterdam to the Surinam tropics to modern laboratories where Merian’s insights fuel a new branch of biology. Kim Todd brings to life a seventeenth-century woman whose boldness and vision would still be exceptional today.
- A beautifully produced book with the latest scholarship on Maria Sibylla Merian's life and work, which inspired generations of scientists, artists and enthusiasts - Includes contributions by 23 international experts - Merian succeeded brilliantly in creating a one-woman genre that addressed both the requirements of the naturalists for anatomical correctness and the aesthetic interests of the connoisseurs. -- Arthur McGregor, president of the Society for the History of Natural History The revolutionary artist and naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) has come into the spotlight in recent years. The life and work of this German-born woman, who would later settle in the Netherlands, has...
In 1660, at the age of thirteen, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) began her study of butterfly metamorphosis—years before any other scientist published an accurate description of the process. Later, Merian and her daughter ventured thousands of miles from their home in the Netherlands into the rainforests of South America seeking new and amazing insects to observe and illustrate. Years after her death, Merian’s accurate and beautiful illustrations were used by scientists, including Carl Linnaeus, to classify species, and today her prints and paintings are prized by museums around the world. More than a dozen species of plants and animals are named after Merian. The first Merian biography written for ages 10 and up, this book will enchant budding scientists and artists alike. Readers will be inspired by Merian’s talent, curiosity, and grit and will be swept up in the story of her life, which was adventurous even by today’s standards. With its lively text, quotations from Merian’s own study book, and fascinating sidebars on history, art, and science, this volume is an ideal STEAM title for readers of all ages and interests.
"In the 17th century, when insects were called "beasts of the devil", and women were virtually excluded from the field of science, a young German woman named Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) dedicated her life to the study and depiction of the metamorphosis of insects. Merian's extraordinary accomplishments in art and science and those of her most important pupils - her daughters Johanna Helena and Dorothea Maria - will be on view in Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters: Women of Art and Science at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Center, June 10 - August 31, 2008, the first major exhibition of Merian's work in America. The exhibition will explore various aspects of Merian's career, including...
Discover the trailblazing work of artist-naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian in this beautifully illustrated volume on the life cycle of butterflies and moths. Maria Sibylla Merian is one of the greatest artist-naturalists of the seventeenth century. Her work documenting the life cycle and transformation of insects yielded a wealth of groundbreaking discoveries, captured vividly in beautiful illustrations. Originally published in 1705, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensis documents Merian's research expedition to Suriname in 1699. Over the period of two years, the German naturalist observed many South American butterflies and moths, meticulously recording her findings in a series of 60 stunning...
This is a full-size facsimile of the magnum opus of Maria Sibylla Merian, a significant contributor to the field of entomology because of her careful observations and documentation of the metamorphosis of the butterfly. Merian, a German naturalist and scientific illustrator, was one of the foremost female scientists of the 17th century. In 1705, she published Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, for which she became famous. No more than 30 copies of this masterwork are left worldwide.
Before Darwin, before Audubon, before Gilbert White, there was Merian, an artist turned naturalist, known for her botanical illustrations. This work takes us from golden-age Amsterdam to the Surinam tropics to modern laboratories where Merian's insights fuel a fresh branch of biology.
"In 1699, the German artist and entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian set sail for Suriname, in South America. There she would spend two years studying the animals and plants which she encountered, aiming to explore the life-cycle of insects (then only partially understood). Those studies led to the publication of the Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium (the Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname), a luxury volume which brought the wonders of Suriname to Europe."--
The Flowering of Ecology presents an English translation of Maria Sibylla Merian's 1679 'caterpillar' book, Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumen-Nahrung. Her processes in making the book and an analysis of its scientific content are presented in a historical context. Merian raised insects for five decades, recording the food plants, behavior and ecology of roughly 300 species. Her most influential invention was an 'ecological' composition in which the metamorphic cycles of insects (usually moths and butterflies) were arrayed around plants that served as food for the caterpillars. Kay Etheridge analyzes the 1679 caterpillar book from the viewpoint of a biologist, arguing that Merian's study of insect interactions with plants, the first of its kind, was a formative contribution to natural history.
The amazing story of the life and work of the renowned botanical artist Maria Sibylla Merian is told alongside her beautiful illustrations of butterflies in this charming and elegant book. A woman ahead of her time, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) was an intrepid explorer, naturalist, scholar, as well as a magnificent artist. This lovely, impeccably designed book tells Merian’s incredible life story alongside colorful reproductions of her engravings and watercolors of the butterflies she encountered during her lifetime in Germany and the Netherlands, and her seminal trip to the Dutch colony of Surinam. The book recounts Merian’s monumental expedition, her work as an advocate for the slave laborers of Surinam, and her important studies of the anatomy and life cycle of the butterfly. Author Boris Friedewald employs Merian’s favorite insect as a metaphor for the artist’s own pioneering evolution from budding entomologist to educator, activist, and artist. A visual treasure as well as a satisfying read, this exquisite volume is the perfect gift for anyone interested in Merian’s amazing life and groundbreaking body of work.