When I saw the Google Doodle today, the question that popped up was not ‘who the heck she is’, but ‘who the sketch it is’.
:-D
For the Google Doodle celebrating the 366th birthday of Maria Sibylla Merian is an artwork by itself.
The illustration of caterpillars, chrysalises, moths, butterflies and a green iguana along with the plants they feed on is captivating. No wonder the works of Maria Sibylla Merian are still sought after.
What strikes me on reading about Maria Sibylla Merian is her drawings in the late 17th-early 18th centuries are the equivalent of a DIY or Science Explained YouTube video of today.
I couldn’t help but laugh that people at that time believed that insects were spontaneously generated or produced from decaying organic matter like old meat and rotting fruits. Merian’s excellent study and her drawings helped dispel that notion.
What strikes me as even more awesome is that she travelled to Suriname at the age of 52, stayed there for 2 years chronicling the animals and plants in sketches. At the time Merian was offended at the mistreatment of indigenous people and black slaves by the Dutch planters and spoke out against it.
Great Lady. Definitely worth a Google Doodle.
:-D
For the Google Doodle celebrating the 366th birthday of Maria Sibylla Merian is an artwork by itself.
The illustration of caterpillars, chrysalises, moths, butterflies and a green iguana along with the plants they feed on is captivating. No wonder the works of Maria Sibylla Merian are still sought after.
What strikes me on reading about Maria Sibylla Merian is her drawings in the late 17th-early 18th centuries are the equivalent of a DIY or Science Explained YouTube video of today.
I couldn’t help but laugh that people at that time believed that insects were spontaneously generated or produced from decaying organic matter like old meat and rotting fruits. Merian’s excellent study and her drawings helped dispel that notion.
What strikes me as even more awesome is that she travelled to Suriname at the age of 52, stayed there for 2 years chronicling the animals and plants in sketches. At the time Merian was offended at the mistreatment of indigenous people and black slaves by the Dutch planters and spoke out against it.
Great Lady. Definitely worth a Google Doodle.
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