Monday, April 1, 2013

Maria Sibylla Merian

Maria Sibylla Merian

Google's latest Doodle celebrates the birth of Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), a German, who was one of the greatest artists, scientists time and is considered to be a major influence in the development of entomology.

Merian was born in Frankfurt am Main, the family of the Swiss engraver and publisher, fascinated by the life cycle of butterflies and the transformation was the subject of close study.

She was a flower painter and teacher, as well as the age of 52 years, made an expedition to what is now Suriname after Dutch inspired exotic plants imported specimens of natural history collections in the Netherlands.

While he is in South America, he traveled all over the Dutch colony, set out the local flora and fauna, but also criticized the treatment of black slaves and indigenous Dutch planters.

Returning to Amsterdam two years later he began to work in a lavishly illustrated book, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium (Metamorphoses of insects Surinam), which described the life cycle of insects studied. It was published in 1705, at the age of 10 suffered a stroke and is partially paralyzed. He died two years later. Daughter has published a collection of his work.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Bookmark and Share