Maria Merian

Merian depicted the 'metamorphosis' (change in life cycle) of the South American butterflies and moths she observed, often alongside native flora.

From caterpillar...

… to fully-fledged adult.

For these luxury versions, Merian created a partial print of each etching she made and, while the ink was still wet, transferred a reverse image onto a sheet of vellum. This ‘counterproof’ was then coloured by hand.

The plates stand out not just in the field of science, but as accomplished artworks as well.

Many of the insects she painted had never been seen before in Europe, and Merian made notes about them.

She described the blue morpho, for example, as fast-flying with wings that resembled roof tiles under a microscope.

Maria had collected insects in her youth, including silkworms.

She recognised that the caterpillars of this rothschildia moth produced good silk, and in her text suggested harvesting it commercially.

Many new crops from the Americas had been successfully introduced to Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Merian described how cocoa was grown in the shade of large leaves, such as those of the banana tree, to protect it from the heat.

Merian encountered some incredible insects in Suriname.

She added the harlequin beetle "on account of its rarity". In her text she continues "I gladly leave it to others to investigate this creature further".

The monkey slug moth did not hatch until her voyage back to Amsterdam.

Merian’s primary reason for visiting Suriname was to study insect metamorphosis, but she also observed other behaviours.

In her notes, Maria describes how certain species of ant "can eat whole trees bare as a broom handle in a single night".

The Latin name of the tarantula genus is Avicularia, meaning ‘small bird’, as experts believed they preyed on birds. We now know this not to be true. This image may have been responsible for the myth.

The giant water-bug is one of the largest insects in the world, growing to a length of 11cm.

The male water-bug carries the eggs, which the female sticks on to his back: we can see four on the back of the lower bug here.

The female Suriname toad carries her fertilised eggs under the skin on her back.

When the young are grown, they break through the skin and swim away. Merian was the first European naturalist to describe this phenomenon.

Merian’s work remained popular and influential after her death in 1717. The 'Metamorphosis' was reissued four times and was found in libraries across Europe. Her illustrations were used by designers as well as scientists.

Merian dedicated her publication "to all lovers and investigators of nature". Over 300 years later, these meticulous, brilliant works celebrate a woman whose art and whose story are enduringly popular.