The Scientific Art of Maria Sibylla Merian

Spectacled Caiman and a False Coral Snake
Source: Wikimedia Commons

The boundary between art and science is often very distinct, but, in some situations the line can be blurred. While art is subjective by its nature and contains inherent bias, it can be a valuable scientific tool in that it provides a record of the artist’s experiences and observations (like a visual lab notebook).

This is certainly true of the art of Maria Sibylla Merian. Merian was a naturalist who studied insects. Although her work touched upon other animals as well, she is best known as one of the founders of the field of entomology. Throughout her career, Merian published several books documenting the lifecycle of many species of insects, with an emphasis on the process of metamorphosis, something she studied in great detail. She produced hundreds of stunning illustrations to accompany these books, and (given the topic of this blog) those images are what’s most interesting to me. 

Inflorescence of Banana
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Towards the end of her life, Merian travelled to Suriname with one of her daughters to study tropical insects, and her work from this period is famous. Though they are scientific documents, the illustrations she produced during this time are quite beautiful. They are brightly colored and expertly composed to create a sense of visual balance and harmony.

Although she took care to portray each insect accurately, I think it is important to note that her illustrations are not true representations of life. Each illustration contains elements of lived experience, distilled to a sanitized and scientifically useful snapshot. Instead of just reporting what she saw, Merian took the time to carefully interpret the information she gathered. When applied to art, this manifests as carefully manicured images, shorn of all excess detail and carefully tailored to highlight the most interesting features. 

Metamorphosis of a Frog
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Although I’m the last person to find insects interesting, I have to admit that she makes them as attractive as possible. Merian also made the groundbreaking choice to portray insects with the plants that they lived on and ate. Her study of the relationship between plants and insects opened doors scientifically, but also offered a glimpse of how the natural world operates as a cohesive whole. There is a sense that Merian’s illustrations impose order on an otherwise chaotic (and probably wriggly) world.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.