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(1/2) Maria Sibylla Merian was born (2 Apr 1647 – 13 Jan 1717).

Here is a 1719 copy of Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium turned to
“Pineapple with Cockroaches” that was on display at the “Making Her Mark: A History of in Europe, 1400-1800” exhibition at the BMA:

Gallery labels “Maria Sibylla Merian German, 1647-1717 Pineapple with Cockroaches in Dissertatio de Generatione et Metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium... (Dissertation on the generations and metamorphosis of Surinamese insects) Amsterdam, 1719 Bound volume of hand-colored engravings and etchings Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, Virginia” ““This ripening pineapple's sweet aroma attracts a swarm of cockroaches. Maria Sibylla Merian observed this interaction during a three-year, self-financed voyage with her daughter Dorothea Maria to the South American country of Suriname, then a Dutch colony, in 1699. While there, Merian studied the native plant and insect life, learning their uses and behavior from enslaved African and Indigenous guides working at the sugar plantation where she stayed. In her notes, Merian characterized the pineapple as "the most outstanding of all edible fruits" and cockroaches as "the most infamous of all insects in America." Merian's illustrations innovatively presented insect life cycles, habitats, and the broader ecological dynamic. After returning to the Netherlands, Merian published an illustrated compilation, creating one of the most important natural history publications of the time. Her daughters Dorothea Maria Graff and Johanna Helena Herolt-Graff continued to issue editions after Merian's death, such as this deluxe version, contributing to their mother's foundational reputation in entomology.”

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(2/2) Here are two more works by Maria Sibylla Merian from the same exhibition at the BMA:

  1. Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumen-Nahrung (The Wondrous Transformation of Caterpillars and their Curious Diet of Flowers), 1679-83
    Bound volume w/ hand colored engraved illustrations
  2. Convolvulus and Metamorphosis of the Convolvulus Hawk Moth, c.1670-1683
    Watercolor w/ touches of opaque watercolor over indications in black chalk or graphite on vellum

photo of the watercolor in grey mat also on display

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