Everyone knows that butterflies come from caterpillars, right?
Everyone knows that butterflies come from caterpillars, right?
Not in the 17th century, they didn’t. How would they have known? Caterpillars are small, and their metamorphosis took place in hidden places. There were no books describing this process, or Monarch kits to send away for. These “worms” were considered pests, and no one connected them to the beautiful “summer birds” that sailed through the air. Only a very sharp-eyed and persistent person would be able to uncover such an extraordinary process, and only a person with artistic skill could document it in living color.
That person was Maria Sibylla Merian. An artist at a time when women weren’t allowed to be. A scientist before there were scientists. An adventurer who journeyed far and wide in search of the truth of metamorphosis.
Dive into this fully-illustrated account of her life, bursting with art, history and juicy details.
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| Description | Everyone knows that butterflies come from caterpillars, right? Not in the 17th century, they didn’t. How would they have known? Caterpillars are small, and their metamorphosis took place in hidden places. There were no books describing this process, or Monarch kits to send away for. These “worms” were considered pests, and no one connected them to the beautiful “summer birds” that sailed through the air. Only a very sharp-eyed and persistent person would be able to uncover such an extraordinary process, and only a person with artistic skill could document it in living color. That person was Maria Sibylla Merian. An artist at a time when women weren’t allowed to be. A scientist before there were scientists. An adventurer who journeyed far and wide in search of the truth of metamorphosis. Dive into this fully-illustrated account of her life, bursting with art, history and juicy details. |
