What do you think?
Rate this book
Maria Sibylla Merian: Insects of Surinam
The masterwork of an entomological pioneer
At a time when few women were educated or literate – and rarely travelled – German-born naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) made history with her studies of insects in Surinam. Trained as a copperplate engraver and watercolorist, she documented the metamorphosis of butterflies, laying the foundation for modern entomology. What Merian observed when breeding native species of butterfly triggered her curiosity, and spurred her to further investigation; the development from ovum, via larva and chrysalis, to adult butterfly was not fully understood in the 17th century. And not every pupa developed into a butterfly, which puzzled Merian for a long time.
On seeing a collection of butterflies from Dutch Guiana, modern Surinam, she decided to study tropical flora and fauna, to discover whether the moths and butterflies she saw in collections shared the same life cycle as those she had bred: the egg and caterpillar stage. In 1699 she sailed for South America with daughter Dorothea, the first time any woman had ventured on a journey of exploration on this scale. Having evaluated and categorized her specimens, in 1705 she published her major work Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, in Dutch and Latin. She made 60 copperplate engravings to illustrate the stages of insect development, arranged around the cultivated and wild plants she had encountered on her travels. With its detailed text and imagery, the Metamorphosis is the first work on the natural history of Surinam. For 17th century Europeans it was an insight into an unknown world. TASCHEN’s reprint of a hand-colored first edition copy includes the complete plates with a commentary by Katharina Schmidt-Loske. Merian accomplished a pioneering achievement of the modern age. This publication pays homage to her work and offers readers an opportunity to appreciate her sumptuous engravings.
At a time when few women were educated or literate – and rarely travelled – German-born naturalist and artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) made history with her studies of insects in Surinam. Trained as a copperplate engraver and watercolorist, she documented the metamorphosis of butterflies, laying the foundation for modern entomology. What Merian observed when breeding native species of butterfly triggered her curiosity, and spurred her to further investigation; the development from ovum, via larva and chrysalis, to adult butterfly was not fully understood in the 17th century. And not every pupa developed into a butterfly, which puzzled Merian for a long time.
On seeing a collection of butterflies from Dutch Guiana, modern Surinam, she decided to study tropical flora and fauna, to discover whether the moths and butterflies she saw in collections shared the same life cycle as those she had bred: the egg and caterpillar stage. In 1699 she sailed for South America with daughter Dorothea, the first time any woman had ventured on a journey of exploration on this scale. Having evaluated and categorized her specimens, in 1705 she published her major work Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, in Dutch and Latin. She made 60 copperplate engravings to illustrate the stages of insect development, arranged around the cultivated and wild plants she had encountered on her travels. With its detailed text and imagery, the Metamorphosis is the first work on the natural history of Surinam. For 17th century Europeans it was an insight into an unknown world. TASCHEN’s reprint of a hand-colored first edition copy includes the complete plates with a commentary by Katharina Schmidt-Loske. Merian accomplished a pioneering achievement of the modern age. This publication pays homage to her work and offers readers an opportunity to appreciate her sumptuous engravings.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Maria Sibylla Merian
57 books19 followersMaria Sibylla Merian was a naturalist and scientific illustrator who studied plants and insects and made detailed paintings about them. Her detailed observations and documentation of the metamorphosis of the butterfly make her a significant contributor to entomology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 30, 2010
The most wonderful book of scientific, artful and lifelike renditions of special insects, mainly butterflies and moths, created in 1700 by a German woman from Frankfurt.
February 7, 2021
Maria's plates are beautiful to look at, but also glad for this edition's information about how she gathered the insects, lizards, and plants, and especially the notable misidentifications.
Would like to create embroideries or needlepoints based on some of her plates. Have a long list of the "best" to adapt.
Would like to create embroideries or needlepoints based on some of her plates. Have a long list of the "best" to adapt.
February 21, 2017
Superb reproduction of Maria Sibylla Merian's plates from the book Insects of Surinam. With description, biography. The observation and detail, color, and even the sense of humor, of these plates, made by the remarkable 50 year old divorced German woman who travelled to Surinam from Holland accompanied by her young daughter in the late 17th c. are magnificent. They can be appreciated for their beauty alone. Well worth acquiring, and highly recommended.
July 7, 2015
Purely bloody amazing. I'm so very glad this book was recommended to me, even if most of what I did was look at the lovely pictures and struggle with the language just enough to sort out what each picture was of.
Lovely work indeed.
Lovely work indeed.
July 18, 2020
Amazing.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews