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Flowers, Butterflies and Insects: All 154 Engravings from "Erucarum Ortus"
Fine-line images of roses, butterflies, tulips, caterpillars, and other specimens of plant and insect life in elegant full-page compositions. These plates are considered among the finest achievements of a great age of floral painting and the engraver's art. Reprinted from the classic, influential works of the famed artist/entomologist Merian (1647–1717). New English captions.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1991
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About the author
Maria Sibylla Merian
55 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.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 17, 2022
4.5/5 stars
You can find this book for free here.
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was a scientific illustrator who specialized in drawing nature. She is especially prominent for her drawings of plants, insects, and larvae. Flowers, Butterflies, and Insects contains her drawings from Erucarum Ortus, a book known for its impact on entomology.
Having been inspired by the analysis in 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die , I would like to offer my own analysis on Mrs. Merians artwork.
Although the engravings were not engraved in color, the way line was used was still effective as a medium for shading. The lines were used to add texture and illustrate the variations of light upon an object quite well. Although the utilization of lines fell short when it came to making shadows after, let's say, a leaf is folded, (the shadow was not very perceptible to me, but that might just be my weird perception of things), texture and lighting was overall pretty good.
The meticulous detail of Merian is also worth remembering. The curvature of a flower petal, the precise bristles and hairs of caterpillars and moths, and the swirl of butterflies' proboscises were incredibly marveling. (I most certainly do not have the concentration and coordination to do that stuff XD XD). None of the engravings seem exaggerated, oversimplified, or romanticized. The bending of a fly's legs and the hairs of a butterfly were illustrated with astounding clarity.
It's too bad we don't talk about Maria Sibylla Merian in science or art classes much. Art students might know Frida Kahlo and science students might know Isaac Newton, but then they could start having blank faces when they hear the name "Maria Sibylla Merian," which is sad, because this woman fundamentally changed entomology, and maybe even helped support the beginnings and progression of scientific illustration.
You can find this book for free here.
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) was a scientific illustrator who specialized in drawing nature. She is especially prominent for her drawings of plants, insects, and larvae. Flowers, Butterflies, and Insects contains her drawings from Erucarum Ortus, a book known for its impact on entomology.
Having been inspired by the analysis in 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die , I would like to offer my own analysis on Mrs. Merians artwork.
Although the engravings were not engraved in color, the way line was used was still effective as a medium for shading. The lines were used to add texture and illustrate the variations of light upon an object quite well. Although the utilization of lines fell short when it came to making shadows after, let's say, a leaf is folded, (the shadow was not very perceptible to me, but that might just be my weird perception of things), texture and lighting was overall pretty good.
The meticulous detail of Merian is also worth remembering. The curvature of a flower petal, the precise bristles and hairs of caterpillars and moths, and the swirl of butterflies' proboscises were incredibly marveling. (I most certainly do not have the concentration and coordination to do that stuff XD XD). None of the engravings seem exaggerated, oversimplified, or romanticized. The bending of a fly's legs and the hairs of a butterfly were illustrated with astounding clarity.
It's too bad we don't talk about Maria Sibylla Merian in science or art classes much. Art students might know Frida Kahlo and science students might know Isaac Newton, but then they could start having blank faces when they hear the name "Maria Sibylla Merian," which is sad, because this woman fundamentally changed entomology, and maybe even helped support the beginnings and progression of scientific illustration.
July 7, 2015
What I read was actually the Erucarum Ortus itself from http://digital.bib-bvb.de/view/bvbmet...# - an unspeakably awesome piece of work.
Go. Read it now. Seriously.
Well, OK. Look at it. If you can read the language, *then* read it. I didn't have such luck, but translated enough to get bits and pieces, which made my whole afternoon.
Go. Read it now. Seriously.
Well, OK. Look at it. If you can read the language, *then* read it. I didn't have such luck, but translated enough to get bits and pieces, which made my whole afternoon.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews