Videira americana
1719
Maria Sibylla Merian was a trailblazing naturalist who traveled all the way to Suriname in 1699 to document insect life cycles, a risky move for a woman of her time. This plate beautifully illustrates the metamorphosis of a moth on an American grape vine, showing the chubby caterpillar with its distinctive red head and tail munching on the stem, the brown chrysalis resting on a leaf, and the stunning adult moth with pink underwings hovering near the dark grapes. She revolutionized scientific illustration by showing insects interacting with their host plants, proving they weren't just spontaneously generated from mud!
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving
- Material
- Paper
Views: 7