The Merian 1771, Pl. 25, Vanilla Plant from Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname captures the developmental cycle of the insect framed by the native Surinamese flora.
This 18th-century hand-colored engraving bears the platemark – a rectangular depression in the paper around the perimeter of the image area – from the intaglio printing process. Printed on laid paper and colored by hand, the artwork features luscious colors, charming details, and nuanced textures that bring the image to life. Enhance your art collection and enliven your walls with this delightful antique engraving.
About Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname
Maria Sibylla Merian’s Metamorphosis of the Insects of Surinamecomprised 60 hand-colored engravings (12 additional plates added in posthumous editions) and was the first European attempt to visually document and explore the metamorphosis of insects. Created from the two years she spent observing, collecting, and painting the indigenous plants and insects of Suriname, Merian’s elegantly composed prints portray the metamorphosis of one or more species of insect. The insects are depicted in the various stages of development from larva to mature adult and are presented alongside a plant that often serves as a food source. Merian’s hand-colored engravings possess a remarkable delicacy and attention to detail that makes it appear as though the winged insects have only just alighted on the page, but might flutter off at any moment.
About Maria Sibylla Merian
Born in Frankfurt in 1647 to a family of artisans, Maria Sibylla Merian learned the printmaking trade from a young age. As she matured, Merian developed a great interest in insects, which she collected, studied, and drew. At the age of 52, Merian left her home in Amsterdam and traveled with her daughter Dorothea Maria to the Dutch colony of Surinam on the northeastern coast of South America. There, she spent two years observing the indigenous plants and insects, studying and painting them from life. This endeavor resulted in one of the most significant natural history folios of the 18th century, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium or Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname, the culmination of her career as an artist and naturalist. Merian is one of the first entomologists to discover and document insect metamorphosis.
For more information about Merian 1771, Pl. 25, Vanilla Plant, email us at [email protected] or check out our articles Examining the Art of Maria Sibylla Merian through the Lens of 17th-century Dutch Still-Life Painting and The Influence of Scientific Modalities of Perception and Representation in Merian’s Artwork.
more information about botanical printsView All Articles
Audubon Prints Birds and Animal Art Botanical Art Information
Natural History Art Treasures under $10,000
Collecting original art doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, there are a surprising number of original paintings and antique prints that can be acquired [...]
Read More
Botanical Art
A Guide to Collecting Antique Botanical Prints
Loved for their beauty, whimsy, and relative affordability, botanical prints offer a wonderful avenue for novice and seasoned collectors alike. Whether displayed as solitary statement [...]
Read More
Birds and Animal Art Botanical Art Information
An Obsession with Natural History and Victorian Collecting Crazes
Spanning the majority of the 19th century, the Victorian era was marked by a rise in fashionable collecting hobbies. Natural history objects were among the [...]
Read More
Botanical Art Information
How to Distinguish Between the Various Editions of Besler’s ‘Garden of Eichstätt’
A practical guide to understanding and identifying the different editions of Besler’s folio through paper types and material characteristics.
Read More
Botanical Art
Plant Mutations in the Botanical Prints of Pierre-Joseph Redouté
A consideration of the artistic rendering of the Tulip Breaking Virus, and the phenomenon of Rose Perfoliation in Redouté's prints
Read More
Botanical Art
Encountering the Amazon through Margaret Mee’s Lens
A consideration of Mee's implicit and overt depictions of symbiotic ecosystems in her paintings of the Amazon Rainforest
Read More
