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Maria Sibylla Merian was an extraordinary woman for her
time. Equally interested in art and the scientific observation of
nature, she pursued both with passion and talent that translated into
a number of successful business ventures and a two year exploration of
the Dutch Colony of Surinam that resulted in her magnum opus,
“Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium” (The Metamorphosis of the
Insects of Surinam.)
As the daughter of the renowned Swiss engraver and publisher Matthäus
Merian the Elder, and step-daughter to the still life painter Jacob
Marrel, Maria was able to study art and printmaking from an early
age. By the time she was thirteen, she was routinely collecting
insects and live specimens, studying them, cultivating their
development and recording her observations. Above all else, she was
captivated by the seemingly magical process of metamorphosis and
enthralled with the beauty of flowering plants. Her empirical practice
led her to record discoveries that were at odds with the currently
held theory of spontaneous generation. (Spontaneous generation is the
belief that “simple life forms” i.e. worms, flies, mice are created
from non-living objects i.e. dust, bread, mud etc. Recipes for
creating bees or mice required little more than leaving bread or wheat
in a field to “spontaneously generate” the living organism. This
theory was eventually disproved by L. Pasteur in 1862.)
In 1699, as a 52 year old divorced mother of two daughters, Merian
embarked upon a two year expedition through the wilds of Surinam.
Although she did not find the tropical climate agreeable and
eventually contracted malaria, she was inspired to illustrate the vast
array of insect life and the native fruits and flowers she found
there. “The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Surinam” earned the
respect of her contemporaries and found a patron in Peter the Great.
He not only subscribed to the work, he also purchased her original
watercolor drawings and specimens collected and prepared by Merian,
that now reside in the Archives of the Academy of Sciences in St.
Petersburg, Russia
The scientific community of the 19th century did not credit
Merian for being the pioneering entomologist and talented artist she
was - due in large part to her flamboyant illustrations and a lack of
interest in a scientific classification or nomenclature of the insects
and plants she encountered. Today, Maria Sibylla Merian is regarded
as a feminist role model as much for her courage and independence as
for the unique and beautiful works she produced. |
