Her Wondrous Images of Flowers and Insects Continue to Amaze. the Novelist Mathias Gatza Narrates the Life Story of the Naturali
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HEADZEILE ANIMAL PASSION Her wondrous images of flowers and insects continue to amaze. The novelist Mathias Gatza narrates the life story of the naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, who died 300 years ago A living microcosmos: butterflies, caterpillars, and cocoons populate a guava plant in Surinam, captured in detail by Maria Sibylla Merian 20 MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN HEADZEILE UNDAUNTED Already as a young girl, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717) nursed a passion for butterflies. This portrait by Jacob Houbraken is from her book “The Caterpillars’ Marvelous Transformation and Strange Floral Food.” In 1699, she undertook a research trip to Surinam, which resulted in “Metamorphosis insectorum BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Surinamensium.” Published in 1705, it is the source for the Merian’s magnum opus begins with repellent creatures in cap- illustrations on the following pages. tivating beauty. To her, the pineapple was the “most important edible fruit,” and cockroaches, “the most infamous insects in America.” Seen here are German and Australian cockroaches, whose various forms of laying eggs she described in detail. That she confused the spider cocoon in the foreground with the cockroach egg packet, as pointed out by the biologist Katharina Schmidt-Loske of the Koenig Research Museum in Bonn, does little to diminish her achievement as a researcher. 22 23 MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN THE FACES OF A MOTH The theme of metamorphosis fascinated her long before the trip to Surinam. Still prevalent in scholarly circles in Merian’s time was the Aristotelian theory of the spontan- eous generation of insects from mud. Merian however demonstrated the developmental process from egg to larva and pupa and finally to butterfly or moth, as seen here in RARE FAUNA the example of the gigantic Thysania agrippina, known as Among Merian’s most important discoveries was the com- the “white witch”—although, in this case, the illustrated mon Surinam toad (in Latin: Pipa pipa). She was the first caterpillar belongs to a different species. European to describe and recognize the defining feature of this species: the females carry the eggs on their backs, cov- ered with a layer of skin, through which the fully developed offspring emerge. After her Surinam book, Merian planned a volume on reptiles she was ultimately unable to realize. 25 MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN HEADZEILE A FEMININE GAZE Merian’s first paintings were of flowers; with extraordinary fineness, she drew the soft pink blossoms of the annatto shrub. The seeds of the fruit, “elongated and round and prickly like chestnuts,” serve the natives as dyes, Merian explains in the accompanying text. She often defers to the knowledge of the inhabitants of Surinam and is candid about her ignorance in contrast. Referring to another plant, she describes the use of the seeds by the women for termin ating pregnancies, “so that the children do not become slaves like their parents.” TINY LIBERTIES Her principal was to present each insect together with its host plant, for she was aware that butterflies preferred spe- cific species for nourishment and habitation. To the ecosys- tem of the owl butterfly, depicted here in a lifelike way, she added a small blue lizard, however, “to decorate the page.” 26 27 MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN The most famousT female painter of flowers workshop. In 1670, they settled in Nuremberg developmental stages of her research with pre- was also the first entomologist and an artist with their eldest daughter. The family earned cision. “From a young age, I have been pre- who embodied a trinity composed of artistic money through Maria Sibylla’s trade in paint, occupied with research into insects. I began creation, religious reverence for nature and varnishes and painting utensils; she also of- with silkworms in Frankfurt am Main, where research as a brandname of the modern era! fered painting lessons to the ladies of Nurem- I was born. Later, I realized that other types of At the very least, let us allow this sen- berg. Her first flower book dates from this caterpillars produced more beautiful butter- tence about Maria Sibylla Merian—with all period. A sought-after form of publication, flies and hawk moths than the silkworm does. of its superlatives—to stand, mindful, none- such flower books served as catalogs of em- This prompted me to collect all of the cater- theless, of the myths and misconceptions it broidery patterns. Here and there, insects pillar types I was able to find, and to observe harbors. When an iconic historical figure re- crawl through its pages, albeit solely as deco- their transformations …” mains peripherally present throughout our rative elements. Up to this point, she pro- For her, research meant “collecting for lives, fallacies are inevitable. How, mean- duced only cursorily depicted flowers, a form the sake of observation.” while, how does a flower painter and insect of commercial graphics. Fine art does not Her first discovery—which emerged researcher become a pop icon? seem to have been a central consideration. after extensive collecting and observation— Popularity is coupled with publication, As a child, Maria Sibylla had observed was that many caterpillars required specific and techniques of reproduction appear to be the pupation of silkworms—the production forage. And it was exactly this knowledge the biographical nucleus of her phenomenal of silk being a major economic factor at that that she yearned to share with the world. celebrity. She was born in Frankfurt in 1647 time, and hence regarded as worthy of study. Collecting and observation were activ- and inhabited the world of reproductive art She also watched silkworm moths hatching. ities characteristic of another new and im- from birth. Her father, Matthäus Merian the Their metamorphosis made a profound im- portant institution of her age. For what were Elder, was one of the most eminent eng ravers pression on her, and she noted everything cabinets of curiosities if not encyclopedic col- and publishers of his time. When he died just with exactitude. Thus began her lifelong pas- lections devoted to contemplation? Their three years after Maria Sibylla’s birth, his sion for caterpillars. A woman armed with a contemporary appeal becomes comprehen- widow married the still-life painter Jacob lightweight net, hunting “little summer sible only once we recall the enthusiastic pro- Marrel, known as a student of the legendary birds,” as butterflies were called in German liferation of the knowledge industry as a Georg Flegel. He brought four daughters to at that time, seemed more or less acceptable. whole at that time. the marriage; she two. Early on, Maria Sibyl- To bring caterpillars and maggots into your In an era when nature, humanity, and Images page 20-28: 2017 Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Wissenschaftliche 2017 Darmstadt 20-28: page Images la’s stepfather fostered her enormous talent, home, however, seemed bizarre. To peasants the cosmos had been contemplated for millen- teaching her flower painting—a not unheard and scientists alike, these creatures did not nia almost exclusively through the perspective of practice in families lacking sons. The high- have a good reputation. Athanasius Kircher, of biblically-based dogma, the observation of ly-gifted still-life painter Rachel Ruysch, for a polymath scholar who served popes, even organic life, stones, and plants emerged as example, had no brothers, and Angelika went so far as to banish them from Noah’s terra incognita. At once, the manmade and Kauffmann was an only child. Ark. But in 1779, Maria Sibylla was able to natural world were at the focus of scientific at- Maria Sibylla learned to paint and en- publish her painstaking observations in tention. Beyond the reach of religious scruples, grave flower still lifes, but did not become a book form. With its radical title, it was no this new delight in empirical learning had still-life painter. The guilds, of course, re- hoity-toity book of “little summer birds,” but long since established itself as a recognized served oil painting for men, while women, instead a down-and-dirty illustrated tale of and sought-after form of science. The age of however, were permitted to master and prac- the marvels of all marvels: a caterpillar book. curiosity had only just arrived when Merian’s tice copperplate engraving. During this Her approach to these studies would be first book appeared. period, women often disregarded this restric- greeted with smiles today, and would hardly Her objects of investigation, moreover, tion—Rachel Ruysch became a celebrated be accepted as genuine scientific research. The resided in a realm of the cosmos that barely painter despite strict German guild relations. marvelous Merian biographer Dieter Kühn crossed the boundary of the visible. This But Maria Sibylla was different. Through- has asserted that according to contemporary made her a kind of emissary from the realm THE POWER OF ERROR out her life, she remained faithful to the repro- standards, her pursuits would not have been of the minuscule, the barely discernible. From The biologist and Merian-expert Kay Etheridge proclaimed this sheet “the most distinctive ductive art of her beloved father, perhaps grasp- regarded as authentically scientific. Contra- the very beginning, the magnifying glass was composition of the Surinam book.” It contains scientific discoveries such as the leafcutter ing instinctively that the times, so eager to dicting this view, however, is the esteem in the central instrument of Maria Sibylla’s en- ants, and exaggerations such as this tarantula, which, nonetheless, acquired its name, strike out for unknown shores, required in- which Leibniz held Merian’s caterpillar books; deavors. She converted her discoveries into “Bird-eating spider,” from Merian—which is still in use today. nova tive art forms to convey new knowledge. not to mention the 156 citations Linné drew images that were visible to all, ensuring that In 1665, she married Johann Andreas from her publications.