Representation of the whole ecosystem
Iris de jardin à feuilles larges
Page from Histoire générale des insectes de Merian
Maria. (Source: National Library of France.)
Most natural history illustrations in the 17th century focused on a single plant species, along with all the parts of the plant in great detail. With the advent of compound lenses and early microscopes, there was also interest in magnifying small parts of plants or insects. The norm was not to show the plant along with its pollinators and its surrounding habitat.
Maria was very observant, and her compositions consistently tell a more complete story of a plant in its niche, with pollinators and other members of the ecosystem. Since Maria observed insects throughout their entire life cycle, she was able to observe all intermediary stages of a life cycle and illustrate them clearly to help debunk myths of spontaneous genesis.
Metamorphosis of a frog
She is also known to be one of the first
naturalists to record all the developmental stages
in amphibian life history of the Suriname Toad
(Pipa Pipa) known for a unique form of parental
care. Maria’s illustrations were so informative
that in several instances even Carl Linnaeus used
copies of her work in his manuscripts.
(Source: The British Museum.)
“The Indians, who are not treated well by their Dutch masters, use the seeds to abort their children, so that they will not become slaves like themselves. The black slaves from Guinea and Angola have demanded to be well treated, threatening to refuse to have children. In fact, they sometimes take their own lives because they are treated so badly, and because they believe they will be born again, free and living in their own land. They told me this themselves.”
—Maria Sibylla Merian, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium. Gerard Valck, Amsterdam [1705]
Maria broadened her focus to tropical plants and animals during her trip to Suriname. However, her continued focus on the life cycles of insects and the plants they pollinated made the illustrations that she created complete ecological studies of the species in question. ‘Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium’ included over 60 detailed plates, associated with textual explanations. An illustration of note is that of the attractive Peacock flower, where Maria included an acknowledgement of the difficulties of the indigenous slaves who were helping her, after learning from these helpers that the seeds of the plant were used to induce abortions.
Branch of a defoliated guava tree with tarantulas, ants and spiders
Maria’s keen observational habits lead her to be
the first to properly document several animal
behaviors which were otherwise unknown, one of
the famous ones being of a Tarantula eating a bird.
Meria was ridiculed by some in the community as
they assumed that she was creating a whimsical
world with her art but her illustrations were
scientifically sound. (Source: The British Museum.)
Vigne fleurie
Maria Sibylla Merian’s illustration of the peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) and a moth—shown as larva, pupa, and in adult form—that is likely the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta). (Source: The British Museum.)
Peacock flower
Page from Histoire générale des insectes de Merian
Maria. (Source: National Library of France.)