Maria Sibylla Merian
BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATION/METAMORPHOSIS
AN ARTIST
Maria Sibylla Merian was born in Germany in 1647. She was encouraged to paint and draw by her stepfather, an artist, who specialized in painting flowers. At that time, women didn’t pursue the study of nature, but painting, drawing, and embroidery were considered acceptable hobbies for girls. Maria proved exceptionally talented at drawing the plants and insects she collected.
A NATURALIST
A curious child, Maria started investigating insects when she was young. Her life took a new turn when, at thirteen years old, she learned to raise silkworms. As she observed their metamorphosis from caterpillar to moth, she wrote, “I realized that other caterpillars produced beautiful ...
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