수리남 곤충의 발생과 변태에 관한 논문 도판34

Maria Sibylla Merian

1726

수리남 곤충의 발생과 변태에 관한 논문 도판34 by Maria Sibylla Merian, 1726

Maria Sibylla Merian was the 18th-century equivalent of a rockstar naturalist, traveling to Suriname to sketch insects in their actual habitats. This plate showcases the life cycle of a moth on a grapevine, capturing a chubby caterpillar climbing the stem, a dormant chrysalis, and the final winged adult hovering near the fruit. Unlike her contemporaries who studied dead bugs in jars, Merian was the first to document how specific insects rely on specific host plants for metamorphosis, making this a groundbreaking piece of scientific art that looks like a botanical masterpiece.

Technique
Engraving

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