Pomegranate
1719
Maria Sibylla Merian was the original bug lady, traveling to Suriname in 1699 to study insects in their natural habitat—a wild move for a woman of her time. This 1719 plate, engraved by S. Mützel after her designs, showcases her revolutionary approach: instead of pinning dead bugs, she drew them alive and interacting with their food sources. Here, vibrant green cicadas and large, patterned moths cluster around the bright red flowers of a pomegranate tree (the 'Grenadier'). The hand-colored engraving style brings a scientific precision that was centuries ahead of its time, blending Baroque artistry with biological observation.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper