Merian

Curious and independent, Maria Sibylla Merian lived an unconventional life for the 17th century. Having grown up in a family of artists, she became one herself. At age 50, her interest in exotic butterflies led her to voyage to Suriname in South America. Her artistic studies from the rainforest would later form the basis of her vivid engravings.

Curious and independent, Maria Sibylla Merian lived an unconventional life for the 17th century. Having grown up in a family of artists, she became one herself. At age 50, her interest in exotic butterflies led her to voyage to Suriname in South America. Her artistic studies from the rainforest would later form the basis of her vivid engravings.