Antique Maps & Prints of Natural History, Botanicals, & More
Lot 4699:
Description
This charming entomology engraving is from Maria Sibylla Merian’s
Histoire générale des Insectes de Surinam et de toute l’Europe. Contenant leurs descriptions, leurs figures, leurs differentes metamorphoses, commonly referred to as Insects of Surinam. The work was published in Paris by chez L. C. Desnos in 1771. Each engraving features exceptional hand-coloring.
The work was the result of Merian’s trip with her daughter Dorothea to Surinam in 1699. The pair studied and recorded plants and insects for two year under difficult conditions. They came back to Amsterdam with specimens and their work and produced this astounding work. The engravings were done by J. Mulder, P. Sluyter and A. Stopendaal, all after Merian. The work is considered to be one of the most beautiful if not most famous illustrated natural history works of the 18th century.
Maria Sibylla (1647-1717) Merian was a German naturalist and artist. Her contributions to entomology were never truly acknowledged in her lifetime, but she is considered a groundbreaker in the fields of botany and zoology. She made detailed observations of live specimens, which was a departure from previous studies that used preserved specimens. She focused great detail on the processes of metamorphosis which had not been studied so comprehensively before her work.
"Her portrayals of living insects and other animals were imbued with a charm, a minuteness of observation and an artistic sensibility that had not previously been seen in a natural history book". Merian’s "artistic groupings of the insects amidst the tropical flora makes this book one of the most beautiful and unusual in the whole range of natural history" (Landwehr Dutch Books with Coloured Plates, p.28).
It is ‘easily the most magnificent work on insects so far produced … [combining] science and art in unequal proportions, meeting the demands of art at the expense, when necessary, of science. Her portrayals of living insects and other animals were imbued with a charm, a minuteness of observation and an artistic sensibility that had not previously been seen in a natural history book’ (Peter Dance, The Art of Natural History , pp.50-51)
Paper Size: ~ 6 1/2" by 8 3/4"
Paper Type or Special Features: Engraving with Professional Hand-coloring
Condition report:
The work is in very good to excellent condition. There may be a few minor imperfections to be expected with age. Please review the image carefully for condition and contact us with any questions.
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