A conversation with Dr. Stephanie Schrader, Curator, J. Paul Getty Museum and Dr. Beth Harris, Executive Director, Smarthistory in front of Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth on a Damson Plum, plate 13 of the Caterpillar Book, 1679, Maria Sybilla Merian. Translucent and opaque watercolor over counterproof print, on parchment, 18.7 x 14.9 cm. Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Based on her careful observation, Maria Sibylla Merian systematically illustrated different stages of the insect’s development: young brown caterpillar and mature green caterpillar, spun cocoon and glistening pupa, and, hovering above, an adult moth. Merian took special care to describe each element in vivid detail, using vibrant and varied colors of green to capture the individual leaves of the tree as early beginnings of a scientific drawing.
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Additional resources
Explore a copy of the Caterpillar Book from the Heidelberg University Library.
Maria Sibylla Merian, Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandlung und sonderbare Blumennahrung, vol. 1 (Nuremberg: 1679).
Smarthistory images for teaching and learning:
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