Ballia
1719
Maria Sibylla Merian was a scientific rockstar of the 17th century who traveled to the jungles of Surinam to study bugs—a wild move for a woman of her time! Though this plate is dated 1719, shortly after her death, it stems from her legendary observations of tropical nature. She captures the dramatic life cycle of moths and wasps hanging out on a striking red flower labeled 'Ballia'. Notice how she doesn't just paint the pretty bloom; she includes the fuzzy caterpillars munching on leaves and the pupae resting below, showing the messy, beautiful reality of metamorphosis. It's like a scientific diagram meets a tropical vacation postcard from 300 years ago.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
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