Maria Sibylla Merian: Nature's Artist
A 17th century visionary whose work on the natural world of Suriname combined scientific accuracy with artistic talent
A journey of discovery
In 1699, 110 years before Charles Darwin was born, Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughter embarked on a groundbreaking expedition to Suriname to study its insects, plants, and animals. This journey would shape her life's work and influence future scientists.
After Merian left her husband in 1685, she joined a Protestant group called the Labadists, who were a part of the Dutch colony in Suriname. This is believed to have inspired Merian’s travel to Suriname to record the plants, animals, and insects of the country in 1699.
Unlike most naturalists working at this time, Merian was independently funded and did not work for a sponsor. When she published the first edition of Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium in 1705, she had complete control.
The University of Sydney's unique copy of Merian's work
When it was first published in 1705, Merian's Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium could only be purchased in Latin or Dutch.
This 1719 copy is unique with its handwritten English translation by William Chinnery, making Merian's Latin text accessible to a wider audience.
Plate 65 from Merian's 'Insectorum Surinamensium' showing a lemon and moth metamorphosis (1719) by Maria Sibylla Merian and William ChinneryOriginal Source: University of Sydney Library, RB Folio 6219.6
Ahead of her time
In this work, Merian documented insect metamorphosis, a groundbreaking contribution to natural history at a time when the popular belief was that insects spontaneously generated from mud.
Merian's illustrations and descriptions show insects in their full life cycle, illustrated as living creatures on the plants that she had observed them interacting with. This was a stark contrast to her peers.
These are some examples of traditional scientific illustrations of insects in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Scientific and artistic process
To produce her illustrations, Merian studied her subjects closely in the field.
She would later translate these sketches into colourful, accurate, and detailed paintings on vellum, as seen in this illustration of her process in Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensis.
The result of two years of observation and study in Suriname
Merian's studies covered insects, plants, and animals. She recorded and published some of the earliest images by a European of a number of insects and plants, including the sweet potato.
Beyond colonial accounts
As an independent observer, Merian was able to have conversations with enslaved people about their lives in the colony.
Some of Merian's learnings were documented in her book, such as the use of the seeds of this flower to induce abortion by enslaved women.
Exotic fruits, familiar descriptions
Merian also illustrated her experiences through her descriptions. In the text accompanying this image, she meticulously describes the preparation of a pineapple and its unique flavour profile as "a snatch of the grape, the pomegranate; ribesia, apples & pears".
Unparalleled accuracy
Merian's illustrations demonstrated unparalleled accuracy. Note the split tongue, only present briefly in the sphinx moth's life cycle.
This level of precision was remarkable for its time, but was criticised as incorrect by entomologists that had not observed this detail.
Plate 21 from 'The Aurelian' (1766) by Moses HarrisOriginal Source: University of Sydney Library, RB Folio 4666.37
Influence on other natural illustrators
The details from Merian's work were heavily influential on generations of natural illustrators, like this example from Moses Harris, published in 1766. Harris was open in admitting that some of his descriptions and illustrations relied on Merian's publications and illustrations.
Scientific impact
Merian’s published illustrations and observations were considered so accurate in the 18th century that Carl Linnaeus used them as the basis for more than 100 entries in his groundbreaking scientific classifications including Systema Naturae and Fauna Svecica.
Common or Spectacled Caiman with South American False Coral Snake (1719) by Maria Sibylla Merian and Dorothea Maria HenrietteOriginal Source: University of Sydney Library, RB Folio 6219.6
The introduction of inaccuracies into her work
After Merian's death, commercial interests led to changes in Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensis. These later editions, while visually appealing, compromised the scientific accuracy of the original engravings.
Dismissal of a pioneer
Merian's meticulous illustrations and observations, celebrated in the 18th century, were downplayed or dismissed in the 19th century.
In 1835 in the Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, William Sharp MacLeay referred to her work as:
“…inexcusable. She it was, I believe, who first agitated the nerves of our unscientific great-grandmothers with the choice fable of bird-eating spiders.” (Vol. 1, p. 190).
Plate 18 from Merian's 'Insectorum Surinamensium' showing leafcutter ants, and bird eating spiders (1719) by Maria Sibylla Merian and William ChinneryOriginal Source: University of Sydney Library, RB Folio 6219.6
While considered a flight of fancy in London in the 19th century, we now know that bird-eating spiders are in fact a reality in South America.
Merian's legacy revived
Remarkably, Tsar Peter the Great's acquisition of Merian's work in 1717 led to its rediscovery and publication in the 20th century.
In the 1970s, the Soviet Academy of Sciences published Merian's work, leading to it being recognised once again.
Merian's enduring legacy
Maria Sibylla Merian's influence can also be seen through the plants and animals named after her, reflecting her contributions to natural science.
These include a bird eating spider (Avicularia merianae), the genus of flowering plants (Meriania), and preying mantis (Sibylla).
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